Indian Armed Forces in Jammu and Kashmir
Indian Armed Forces in Jammu and Kashmir encompass the Indian Army, Navy and Air Force, tri-service units such as the Armed Forces Special Operations Division (AFSOD), and paramilitary organisations of the Central Armed Police Forces such as the Border Security Force, the Central Reserve Police Force, the Sashastra Seema Bal and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police.[1][2][3] Each three wings of India's military have their special forces deployed in the region including Indian Army's Para SF, the Indian Navy MARCOS and the Indian Air Force's Garud Commando Force.[3] Apart from this, there is the elite police anti-insurgency force in the region, the Special Operations Group, of the Jammu and Kashmir Police.[4]
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The MARCOS work side by side with the Army in Jammu and Kashmir, with one of their key roles being to ensure the security of Wular Lake.[1] From 2018 onwards, the MARCOS were deployed in the region as part of Armed Forces Special Operations Division.[3]
Central Armed Police Forces[edit]
Central Reserve Police Force[edit]
26 battalions of CRPF are posted in the Kashmir region, with operations being conducted in the area between "Kupwara in North to Jawahar Tunnel in South and Pahalgam in East to Shopian in West".[10] In 2020 the CRPF got new bulletproof jackets and armored troop carriers.[11]
Other CAPF (Central Armed police force) are also deployed in Kashmir region.
Special Operations Group[edit]
The Jammu and Kashmir Police Special Operations Group (SOG) was created in the early 1990s.[12] Each district of Kashmir has multiple SOG units with varying strength according to the amount of militancy in the district. Each unit is headed by a deputy superintendent of police. Kulgam, Anantnag, Shopian and Pulwama are districts with the most SOG units.[4]