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Senior officers described the move as an early indication of New Delhi’s intent to tighten the security grid in Jammu in the wake of mounting militant activity
This marks the first phase of fresh deployment under the Centre’s revised security strategy, with Jammu carefully chosen as the priority theatre. (PTI)
In a significant security move post-Amarnath Yatra, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has begun deploying nearly three dozen companies across the Jammu region for law-and-order (L&O) and counter-insurgency (CI) operations.
This marks the first phase of fresh deployment under the Centre’s revised security strategy, with Jammu carefully chosen as the priority theatre. Officials said the order, issued last week, directs the inducted troops to actively participate in operations in the region, placing the CRPF in a frontline and aggressive operational role.
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Senior officers described the move as an early indication of New Delhi’s intent to tighten the security grid in Jammu in the wake of mounting militant activity. “This is the first concrete step in the revised deployment strategy. Jammu is being treated as the testing ground,” one officer observed.
Focus: Clearing the Jungles of Jammu
According to security sources, the immediate task for the forces will be to clear the heavily forested stretches of Jammu region, which have increasingly become a safe haven for infiltrating militants. The areas under focus include Poonch, Rajouri, Samba, Kathua, Udhampur, Ramban, and Doda—districts marked by dense jungles, rugged terrain, narrow roads, and poor connectivity.
Officials believe that militants, particularly those involved in recent high-profile attacks, have been using infiltration routes through the Pir Panjal Range and hiding in these jungles before launching strikes. Intelligence agencies have flagged several suspected hideouts, and operations are already underway based on actionable inputs.
The Pahalgam massacre in April, officials said, also bore links to militants who had moved through these corridors. “There is strong suspicion that more hideouts are still active. Clearing these will be the immediate priority of the security grid,” a senior officer explained.
Larger Security Realignment Underway
The deployment comes as part of a broader realignment of security responsibilities in Jammu & Kashmir. Earlier, this month, the Ministry of Home Affairs approved the retention of 99 CAPF companies in the Union Territory until September—85 of the CRPF and 14 of the BSF—in the aftermath of the Pahalgam killings.
Meanwhile, discussions about the future role of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR), first reported by News18 in 2023, have gathered pace. Sources indicated that the government is considering a reshaping of the RR’s deployment canvas. While CRPF is now taking the lead in Jammu, the RR may be reassigned, expanded or its responsibilities redefined as part of the evolving security doctrine. Sources also said operations would be led by Army in different intervals, while CRPF will be in an aggressive role. The Jammu and Kashmir Police will be the soul of these operations, heading and coordinating them.
“This is not just an interim measure after the Yatra,” a source said. “It is part of a wider restructuring that could permanently alter the way security duties are divided between Army and CAPFs with overall supervision of local police in J&K.”
Surging Recoveries: Arms, Explosives, Narcotics
The recalibration also comes against the backdrop of an unprecedented surge in recoveries of arms and explosives along the India-Pakistan border. Data from the Border Security Force (BSF) reveals that the first half of 2025 has already recorded one of the highest seizures in a decade, reflecting both the force’s heightened vigilance and an intensifying push by adversaries to smuggle weapons and narcotics into India.
By June 2025, security forces had seized 454 rifles and other arms, compared to just 17 in 2021—a staggering 2,568 per cent increase in four years. In total, 662 weapons were confiscated in the first six months of this year, nearly double the figure from 2024 and over four times the tally of 2021.
Officials say the spike underscores the urgency of the new deployment strategy. “The Jammu belt has become central to infiltration and smuggling attempts. The message is clear: the forces will be deployed aggressively, with no safe space left for militants or their supply chains,” a senior security source said.
About the Author
With over 15 years of journalistic experience, Ankur Sharma, Associate Editor, specializes in internal security and is tasked with providing comprehensive coverage from the Ministry of Home Affairs, paramilitar…Read More
With over 15 years of journalistic experience, Ankur Sharma, Associate Editor, specializes in internal security and is tasked with providing comprehensive coverage from the Ministry of Home Affairs, paramilitar… Read More
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Jammu and Kashmir, India, India
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