CRPF shifts mine protected vehicles from Naxal-hit areas to Kashmir

New Delhi, June 26

The CRPF has shifted about half a dozen of its heavy-armoured mine protected vehicles (MPVs), which were earlier used for anti-Naxal operations, to the Kashmir valley to effectively secure its troops there against attacks like the latest incident in Pampore in which its eight personnel were killed.

The paramilitary had cut down the use of these vehicles for anti-Naxal operations drastically to a “bare minimum” after they were targeted in IED blasts in the left-wing extremism-hit areas.

The CRPF feels that these MPVs will now come in handy in view of their increased role in Jammu and Kashmir to open and secure roads for movement of paramilitary, defence and VIP convoys and a rise in the number of militant ambushes.

“We have shifted some of our MPVs from left-wing extremism-hit areas to the Kashmir valley to effectively secure our men during convoy movements and road opening tasks. The MPVs are ready for deployment for operations in Kashmir. If need arises, we could bring in more,” said CRPF Director General K Durga Prasad.

He said the MPVs, it was envisaged, would provide better protection in case of a militant ambush and firing on the troops, similar to what was seen yesterday in Pampore. Two militants had opened fired on a CRPF bus, killing eight men and injuring at least 22 of them while they were moving towards Srinagar in a convoy after a firing practice. — PTI