BSF, CRPF and other Paramilitary Forces Discussion

Craig Alpert · Post by **Craig Alpert** » 07 Apr 2010 01:46

Two months after a teenage boy was shot dead in Srinagar sparking widespread protests, the Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday charged BSF Commandant R K Birdhi and Constable Lakhvinder Kumar Singh with the murder.

In its chargesheet filed before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, the police charged the duo under the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) Section 302 which deals with murder, official sources said.

The two have also been charged under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy), Section 201 (destruction of evidence) and Section 307 (attempt to murder).

..........................

Craig Alpert · Post by **Craig Alpert** » 09 Apr 2010 20:55

NSG quick response base becomes in New Delhi becomes operational

09 Apr 2010 8ak: A new NSG airbase near IGI airport in New Delhi has been operationalised with the objective of reducing the reaction time of the commando force in emergency situations. "The operationalisation of the complex is a step forward for the NSG in achieving better operational preparedness by reducing the time taken to respond to a terror situation," a press release from the NSG said.

The complex established on a five-acre plot of land handed over by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) to the NSG was inaugurated by Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram. Also present on the occasion were Minister of State for Home Affairs Ajay Maken, NSG Director General N P S Aulakh and other senior officials, including the chiefs of Central Police Organisations.

The complex has been named 'Sudarshan'-- the NSG symbol signifying the mythological 'Chakra' of Lord Krishna which destroys the enemy and comes back will have a crack commando unit comprising of 60 personnel drawn from 51 and 52 SAG. These units will only have to open a door and enter the tarmac of the IGI airport in case of a terror attack or a hijack attempt, thereby saving crucial time.

The government had come under severe criticism after the 26/11 Mumbai carnage, as it was felt that the mobilisation time of the NSG was too long. Four new NSG regional centres have also been established by the government at Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad, over the last year, in order to reduce expand the presence of the counter terror force and minimise the response time.

Craig Alpert · Post by **Craig Alpert** » 09 Apr 2010 20:56

DELETE.

Dmurphy · Post by **Dmurphy** » 12 Apr 2010 14:52

CRPF deploys SAF commandos in Dantewada

Five platoons (about 150 personnel) of SAF, the erstwhile CoBRA wing of CRPF, have been sent as a reinforcement and to assist the 62nd Battalion, official sources said.

COBRA is erstwhile? Have they been rechristened as SAF? Any idea why?

rohitvats · Post by **rohitvats** » 12 Apr 2010 15:02

The latest Outlook mag has the story on Dantewada ambush - The Alpha Company was on ADE - Area Dominance Exercise. The party was attacked on 6:45am when they were sleeping after the trek and their is claim of complete lack of security and watch guard...the bullet-proof vehicle ambushed was from the re-inforcement convoy after the situation was radioed to the Bn HQ...as expected, the access route had been booby trapped to ambush any releif party...

sum · Post by **sum** » 12 Apr 2010 15:31

Dmurphy wrote:CRPF deploys SAF commandos in Dantewada
Five platoons (about 150 personnel) of SAF, the erstwhile CoBRA wing of CRPF, have been sent as a reinforcement and to assist the 62nd Battalion, official sources said.
COBRA is erstwhile? Have they been rechristened as SAF? Any idea why?

Yup..done few weeks back.

Reportedly done after lots of HR violation reports came against CoBRA ( surprise, surprise

) and so the new name and low profile. More like starting with a clean slate.
Thats what i had gathered from a Praveen Swami article. Might be wrong.

Dmurphy · Post by **Dmurphy** » 13 Apr 2010 09:25

Phone call rate cut for jawans

Paramilitary personnel manning international borders will have to pay less for using satellite phones. The Department of Telecommunication (DoT) has decided to reduce call charge from Rs.5 to Re.1 per minute for using the phones at border outposts.

mmasand · Post by **mmasand** » 13 Apr 2010 11:00

Great news..^^ Now only if they allowed conjugal visits..

Aditya G · Post by **Aditya G** » 14 Apr 2010 12:20

Another example of a "structural solution" to an "on ground problem" that our establishment is so fond of.

First there will be internal bifurication, then there will be a politics between the two arms, followed by carving out a new internal security force with its own DG

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/arti ... ?prtpage=1

NEW DELHI: Following the massacre of 75 CRPF men in the Maoist attack in Dantewada last week, the Centre has decided to speed up restructuring of the paramilitary force by bifurcating it into two parts with one earmarked for ‘soft duties’ like general law and order and the other being kept for ‘tough’ assignments like counter-insurgency and anti-Naxal operations.

Although the exercise had begun two months ago with 10 battalions of CRPF being separated for general law and order duties, it has now been decided to speed up the process keeping in view increasing deployment of the force in Naxal-affected states.

A senior home ministry official said, “Once the bifurcation is complete, the CRPF’s character will change from a ‘force for all seasons’ to ‘specialised’ one. Almost half the battalions will be kept exclusively for hard duties.”

Currently, CRPF — the largest paramilitary force in the country — has 206 battalions. Though it has a small specialised unit in the form of Rapid Action Force (RAF) for riot control duties, the personnel from the main unit also have to take part in such duties on demand.

sugriva · Post by **sugriva** » 14 Apr 2010 12:46

Aditya G wrote:Another example of a "structural solution" to an "on ground problem" that our establishment is so fond of.

Will be obliged if you can provide explanations of what a "structural solution" to an "on ground problem" is to dorks like me. Also what remedies do you have in your mind for the "on ground problem"

rohitvats · Post by **rohitvats** » 14 Apr 2010 21:45

Aditya G wrote:Another example of a "structural solution" to an "on ground problem" that our establishment is so fond of.

First there will be internal bifurication, then there will be a politics between the two arms, followed by carving out a new internal security force with its own DG <SNIP>........

I on the other hand think that it is the perfect solution - something that will have far reaching consequences for the Internal Security of India. If we can replicate the RR model with a CPO like CRPF (even with inherent limitation vis-a-vis RR), it will go a long way bin answering a critical gap in our CI Ops capability. Today, there is nothing in between the IA and CPO (ITBP and to some extent BSF being exceptions)...it is good if we have such a force. But I hope, they keep IPS out of it.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 14 Apr 2010 23:16

they also need to form a dedicated air arm under the MHA, perhaps as a part of the CRPF that can provide air support to any CPO's as situation demands.
the fleet should include mi-17's for the main troop transport role, some WSI-Dhruvs as armed scouts (mainly for their sensors) and UAV's.

Aditya G · Post by **Aditya G** » 15 Apr 2010 03:05

rohitvats wrote: If we can replicate the RR model with a CPO like CRPF (even with inherent limitation vis-a-vis RR), it will go a long way bin answering a critical gap in our CI Ops capability.

Hi Rohit, I believe what you are looking for is a more capable military force for COIN. Do you think bifurication of the CRPF will transform it into one?

The CRPF unit was defeated in this instance - while on several other occassions a state police like grey hounds have been successful. Why was CRPF unit defeated - the battalion knew very well what they were dealing with before they went in - it was not a lathi armed riot police columns that was routed. Not once have we heard of ITBP or BSF being routed like this. What did the CRPF do wrong in the first place?

Before any bifurication what we need is an acknowledgement the CRPF leadership failed to transform CRPF into a 'warrior' force which it should have been for at least 5 years past.

anjan · Post by **anjan** » 15 Apr 2010 03:29

Aditya G wrote: Before any bifurication what we need is an acknowledgement the CRPF leadership failed to transform CRPF into a 'warrior' force which it should have been for at least 5 years past.

I wonder if we really want to CRPF to be a 'warrior' force. Personally, I find the lathi wielding Indian cop on the street is far more approachable than a US cop who looks like a moving arsenal. Militarization of the police is as much of a problem as the reverse.

I think this current move is one of those "best of both worlds" approaches. The better more far reaching solution would be depoliticized/quasi-independent state police forces in higher numbers who can do all the soft-policing with a much smaller well armed CRPF purely doing CI and intervening against armed mobs and such. Unfortunately today I think the CRPF is used for a wide variety of tasks requiring different levels of force. Maybe the bifurcation will bring much needed clarity of purpose.

mmasand · Post by **mmasand** » 15 Apr 2010 03:33

IMO,CRPF needs to be limited in its involvement in the anti-Naxal ops.They need to take a step back and really leave the charge in the hands of the state police.If a massive battalions of the CRPF were trained at CIJW schools,once the insurgent's population is reduced,the training will become useless.

Rather if the state police are trained to take the lead any future resurgence can be tackled without having to depend on CPO's who might and very well could be elsewhere dealing with a different challenge.This does not mean that the CRPF should continue being a lathi wielding force.Instead of bifurcation if they were pressed into joint operations with various intel cells dealing with narcotics,terrorism,tactical raids.India still does not have a national police organisation due to jurisdiction issues.Needless to say the CRPF can raise its own funds by providing manpower for major gatherings such as festivals,riot control(RAF).We all acknowledge that there is lack of training both generally and specifically within CPO's/also much of the divide between the constabulary and seniors is due to the flawed IPS system.

Craig Alpert · Post by **Craig Alpert** » 15 Apr 2010 06:01

TRIBUTE TO THE FALLEN 76 CRPF JAWANS IN THE DATEWADA MASSACARE

REST IN PEACE
Hope the SF wing of the CRPF revenge the deaths by killing these bA$t@rd$!

Sachin · Post by **Sachin** » 15 Apr 2010 10:38

mmasand wrote:They need to take a step back and really leave the charge in the hands of the state police.

I agree with you here. When ever the central govt. brings in more laws to to make policing better, it has been the various state governments who start crying foul and repeating that law enforcement is a state subject. Now that being the case the central govt. should insist and ensure that the state governments are doing the "law enforcement" job properly (other than using the police as their toys/pawns). The state governments should be told in clear terms that any of their state's internal trouble makers (be it Naxals, Jehadis) have to be primarily dealt by them, and the central govt. can give them all required assistance (and additional man power for combing ops etc.). When the going gets tough, I am also expecting a few state governments to start the blame game, stating that "central forces" are using excessive force, doing atrocities and the poor state governments have nothing to do in it. Many of the state governments have become "master whiners" who expect some one else to do the dirty job, this has to be be changed for good.

abhishekm · Post by **abhishekm** » 15 Apr 2010 10:44

Kerala to have dedicated counter-insurgency force soon

http://www.hindu.com/2010/04/15/stories ... 580100.htm

KOCHI: The State police are working on establishing a well-trained commando force in counter-insurgency operations. The recruitment process is expected to be completed by July and specialised weapons are to be purchased by September when the training process begins.

A four-member committee, headed by B.S. Mohammed Yasin, Inspector-General of Police, Thrissur Range, had presented an exhaustive project report on the proposed commando force a month ago and this is now awaiting official approval.

At present, only the Grey Hounds, commando force of the Andhra Pradesh Police, is professionally trained in counter-insurgency operations. Even though other States have formed commando forces after a Union government directive following the Mumbai attack, the personnel have been selected from the existing force.

200-member force

On the contrary, the Kerala Police are making new recruitments. “We filtered nearly 25,000 applicants to select around 6,000 through endurance test, in which the candidates were asked to complete 5-km run in 30 minutes. This will be narrowed down to 200 through written test and physical efficiency test,” said Jacob Punnoose, Director-General of Police.

The concept is to give specialised training for these 200 personnel according to their aptitude, so that smaller groups of 30 to 40 members of a composite nature could be formed. These smaller groups will have specialists in sniper attacks, assaults, para-diving, underwater operations, communication, vehicle interception and planning. These smaller groups would be put on full alert in various parts of the State, especially in cities.

Along with suggestions on procuring most-modern weapons for the force, the committee has recommended Krav Maga, the hand-to-hand combat evolved by the Israeli army, which has proved effective in countering terrorist strikes.

Weapons

The weapons suggested by the committee include those to be employed in various action modes, which are not currently used by any force in the country, like the Hooligan Tool, which could be used for breaking-and-entering and also for assault. It is suggested that the force be given a base station with facilities for continual training.

“We have conceived a professionally trained commando body, which is the requirement of the day. That is why the team worked to prepare an exhaustive purchase list of weapons,” Mr. Yasin said.

The panel has suggested a blue-and-black uniform for the force.

Two and a half cheers i guess! Regarding usage of the "Hooligan Tool", I thought the NSG already had access to this equipment? Also a minor quibble about the blue and black colour of the uniform

Brahmananda · Post by **Brahmananda** » 15 Apr 2010 12:57

saw a video yesterday on NDTV of the CRPF camp near Dantewada, they dont even have decent supply of water and no toilets, have to deficate in open, power for few hours a day, it looks more like a refugee camp than a paramilitary force camp. Its totally rdiculous, those guys are suffering from diseases as well all due to bad water, lack of sanitation etc. The Lok/rajya sabha has failed over and over again.

Mahendra · Post by **Mahendra** » 15 Apr 2010 13:26

^
Kitne acche vichaar hain aapke

Bhramananda sir, cool down, don't let the adminullahs assassinate you

Chinmayanand · Post by **Chinmayanand** » 15 Apr 2010 13:39

Brahmananda , although your intentions noble and patriotic , this is ghor kalyug birather , only the lowly thugs like politicians prevail and rest all are expendable .

mmasand · Post by **mmasand** » 15 Apr 2010 13:44

Two and a half cheers i guess! Regarding usage of the "Hooligan Tool", I thought the NSG already had access to this equipment? Also a minor quibble about the blue and black colour of the uniform

So the cops have now found a new weapon to fight insurgents...an AXE

Now only if they gave more info on the real stuff,which is tactics and procedures apart from the gizmos they would acquire.

Sachin · Post by **Sachin** » 15 Apr 2010 13:54

mmasand wrote:So the cops have now found a new weapon to fight insurgents...an AXE

. Actually the current commie government should have recruited the numerous unemployed youth now in DYFI/SFI etc. These chaps especially from the north Kerala district of Kannur would have already received better "weapon training", than using stuff like Axes etc. Any ways, a good start by the K.P. The plan looks good, now let us see the implementation.

Rupesh · Post by **Rupesh** » 15 Apr 2010 23:44

We filtered nearly 25,000 applicants to select around 6,000 through endurance test, in which the candidates were asked to complete 5-km run in 30 minutes.

5 KM in 30 mins or is it pure DDM reporting.

Srivastav · Post by **Srivastav** » 16 Apr 2010 00:53

Actually 5000 metres in under 30 mins is very doable.....unless you meant it as its too much time for 5000 metres.

NehraA · Post by **NehraA** » 19 Apr 2010 01:09

Brahmananda wrote:saw a video yesterday on NDTV of the CRPF camp near Dantewada, they dont even have decent supply of water and no toilets, have to deficate in open, power for few hours a day, it looks more like a refugee camp than a paramilitary force camp. Its totally rdiculous, those guys are suffering from diseases as well all due to bad water, lack of sanitation etc. The Lok/rajya sabha has failed over and over again.

have you ever witnessed an army battalion on an exercise?....when they set up camp in remote areas be it in the deserts or mountains, they also dont have the luxuries of water supply or toilets, rather they build their own toilets and carry their own water and rations. They are expected to sustain themselves over a predetermined period of time. A lot of homework is done by the senior leadership for all this. You might disagree with me but i feel that as of now the CRPF leadership is not upto the task, logistics is a major factor always. Let me narrate to you an example, when I was in school Gen jj singh was invited as the chief guest for a function. 4 days before the function about 1 company of army jawans and some officers came to the school(as his security party), they stayed for 5 days in their own tents, set up their own makeshift bathroom and kitchen. About 8 months later, a union minister came to visit the school, 2 days before his visit a bus with CRPF jawans also arrived. All they were carrying was thier SLRs, they didnt have any place to stay so they had to be adjusted in our dormitories. So naturally they were using the toilets and eating in the mess with the kids. The routine in the hostel was pretty tight, we used to get up at 5 and had PT and all that stuff, but the jawans would get up at 11 roam around the campus in banyans spitting gutka all around. They were given timings for their meals which they didnt adhere to. They lazed around the whole day watching zee cinema.
On the day of the ministers visit, a police officer came to ask the men how they were, one of them replied"saab, yahan ton tv bhi clear nahi aata".I dont want to sound disresctfull to the brave men fighting in so many situations but it is quite shocking when you see it with your own eyes. I seriously hope that the home ministry goes in for structural changes in the force.

Tejas.P · Post by **Tejas.P** » 29 Apr 2010 22:35

Feature on BSF's Creek Crocodile Commandos patrolling the waters that connect India and Pakistan

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8650993.stm

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 30 Apr 2010 03:09

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8650993.stm

Now we have a Creek Crocodile Commando force within the BSF...

A handpicked team of 50 soldiers from the paramilitary Border Security Forces (BSF) have now been trained as a crack commando outfit called the Creek Crocodile Commandos to secure the area.
They provide the much-needed muscle to the troops' efforts to bolster surveillance of the sensitive water borders in the creeks.
With more than a dozen border outposts, including a few "floating border outposts" housed in small ships patrolling the creek, and now the commandos, the water borders are guarded round the clock.
"It is difficult terrain to patrol, but we take no chances with our multi-layered, heightened security," says BSF Commandant Pushpendrasinh Rathore.

Gyle_S · Post by **Gyle_S** » 01 May 2010 00:59

CRPF and UP Police Jawans Arrested for Selling Arms to Naxals

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/crpf-men-arr ... ml?from=tn

Oh man!!!

Craig Alpert · Post by **Craig Alpert** » 03 May 2010 07:30

^^ UP has been involving itself with a lot of bad publicity recently...

Here's more in their triumph!
Jawan killed in UP 'fake encounter'

sunny y · Post by **sunny y** » 03 May 2010 15:25

Four BMP jawans killed in Maoist attack

http://news.rediff.com/report/2010/may/ ... attack.htm

Four Bihar military police jawans were killed and another was seriously injured when Maoists spayed bullets on a police patrol in Bihar's Aurangabad district on Monday, the police said.

The incident happened at Tandawa Bazaar area in the district when the BMP personnel along with the district armed police force were patrolling the area.

Six Maoists, armed with sophisticated weapons, indiscriminately fired at them, Superintendent of Police Sanjay Kumar Singh said.

Four BMP jawans were killed on the spot, while another was seriously injured, he said.

The ultras also looted five rifles and several rounds of ammunition from them before escaping, the SP said.
The entry and exit points of the district were sealed and a combing operation launched for the Maoists, he said.

ASPuar · Post by **ASPuar** » 06 May 2010 10:46

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 895361.cms

Panel blames CRPF top brass for Dantewada

TNN, May 6, 2010, 02.56am IST

NEW DELHI: With the one-man inquiry committee which probed the Dantewada incident hinting at `command failure' as one of the reasons behind the biggest ever Naxal attack on security forces, the government is likely to take action against a couple of senior officers, including a CRPF DIG and the district SP, fixing responsibility on them.

Government sources here indicated that the Centre could take action against CRPF DIG Nalin Prabhat by shifting him from sensitive post besides recommending similar action against district SP Amresh Mishra.

The action will be taken on the basis of the EN Rammohan Committee report, which is learnt to have indicted them not only for violating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) but also for not proceeding with the area domination mission as planned.

The committee is also understood to have found that CRPF deputy commandant Satyawan Singh Yadav and assistant commandant B L Meena erred in not taking adequate precautions. Both Yadav and Meena were killed in the ambush.

The committee was also learnt to have found that the decision to undertake the `area-domination exercise' was taken jointly by the IG of Chattisgarh, Longkumar, the DIG of that area, SRP Kalluri, and the DIG of CRPF, Nalin Parbath, an Andhra Pradesh cadre IPS officer who had moved to the area only a few days before the incident.

"It was a joint decision," said an official, adding that the actual deployment was left to the SP of the district and the commandant of the CRPF's 62nd Battalion.

As per the operational drill, the CRPF and the police personnel have been strictly asked not to take any help from the villagers or locals and maintain as much as secrecy as possible while moving out.

"The element of secrecy was missing in the operation as the CRPF company after spending the entire day in the ground shifted to a nearby ashram (a hostel), besides forcing the villagers to bring cots and other material," said a source.

Besides fixing the responsibility for the lapse, the committee is also understood to have suggested a number of measures to improve coordination between the state police and the paramilitary force during joint anti-Naxal operations.

Craig Alpert · Post by **Craig Alpert** » 07 May 2010 03:58

62nd Battalion of CRPF Not Trained by Army: Govt

......................
"Army training was introduced for newly-inducted battalions meant for inter-State operations in Naxal-affected areas after August 2009. 62nd Battalion was inducted in Chhattisgarh in May 2009 as part of the annual changeover of CRPF battalions which were placed at the disposal of the state government for long-term deployment in Maoist-infested areas.

"As such, 62nd Battalion was not among those trained by the army," Minister of State for Home Ajay Maken told Rajya Sabha in a written reply.
...................

Craig Alpert · Post by **Craig Alpert** » 08 May 2010 20:40

The scumbags strike again! and unfortunate that a)POSSIBLY rules weren't followed b) amazing how they can conceal an IED on an PUCCA ROAD!

Maoists target CRPF vehicle in Chhattisgarh

RAIPUR: Seven CRPF jawans were killed on Saturday when Naxals blew up a bullet-proof vehicle in Bijapur district of Chhhattisgarh, the first major attack after the Dantewada ambush which left 76 security men dead a month ago.

The naxalites triggered the IED blast near Pedakodepal village on National Highway 16 in Bijapur, 284 km from here, and fired at the security personnel, Director General of Police Vishwaranjan said.

Seven CRPF personnel of 168 Battalion, including a driver, who were travelling in a TATA 407 bulletproof vehicle from their company headquarters in Murkinal to nearby battalion headquarter, were killed, he said. One jawan was injured and another was missing in the attack, the DGP said.

"It appears that the security personnel ignored the instruction not to travel in any kind of vehicle in the naxal-infested areas," State Home Minister Nankiram Kanwar said.

The injured have been admitted to a hospital in Jagdalpur. According to CRPF sources, an eight-feet crater was formed on the 'pucca' road as a result of the blast.

The dead have been identified as S-I Santosh Chaurasia, Head Constable (driver) Hazarilal, HC H K Ghosh, HC M Subramuium, Constable Tekram Verma, Rakesh Meena and Santosh Chauhan.

Naxalites had on April 6 carried out their deadliest attack killing 76 security personnel in Mukrana forests of Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh.

RIP!

abhishekm · Post by **abhishekm** » 09 May 2010 00:25

Craig Alpert wrote:The scumbags strike again! and unfortunate that a)POSSIBLY rules weren't followed b) amazing how they can conceal an IED on an PUCCA ROAD!

There is speculation doing the rounds that the IED was concealed during construction of the road. The road in question is about a year old and it is possible that the naxals could have arm-twisted contractors to allow them access during construction (it has happened in the past) thereby allowing them to plant the IED.

Shameek · Post by **Shameek** » 09 May 2010 03:38

From the article above:

"It appears that the security personnel ignored the instruction not to travel in any kind of vehicle in the naxal-infested areas," State Home Minister Nankiram Kanwar said.

This was not a mine. It was a remotely triggered IED. How would being or not being in a vehicle make a difference?

Jagan · Post by **Jagan** » 09 May 2010 03:44

Shameek wrote:From the article above:
"It appears that the security personnel ignored the instruction not to travel in any kind of vehicle in the naxal-infested areas," State Home Minister Nankiram Kanwar said.
This was not a mine. It was a remotely triggered IED. How would being or not being in a vehicle make a difference?

Vehicle = 20+ Troops packed in a tincan - any explosion will rattle it so much that casualities will be high.
No Vehicle = patrol spread out length wise or area wise.. you wont find 20 troops in an 30 Square foot area.. IED effect is dispersed and casualities will be smaller in number.

This problem used to be high in Kashmir as well. however judicious employement of "Road opening" patrols etc cut down on such losses.

Craig Alpert · Post by **Craig Alpert** » 09 May 2010 18:16

Maoist casualties suspected in Orissa gunbattle

Finally for a change, it nice to read news about damage on the other side!!!! Hope they continue this on these scumbags

chackojoseph · Post by **chackojoseph** » 09 May 2010 18:26

Craig Alpert wrote:Maoist casualties suspected in Orissa gunbattle

Finally for a change, it nice to read news about damage on the other side!!!! Hope they continue this on these scumbags

Could be an eyewash given 2 failures in succession.

Shameek · Post by **Shameek** » 09 May 2010 20:11

Jagan wrote:Vehicle = 20+ Troops packed in a tincan - any explosion will rattle it so much that casualities will be high.
No Vehicle = patrol spread out length wise or area wise.. you wont find 20 troops in an 30 Square foot area.. IED effect is dispersed and casualities will be smaller in number.

This problem used to be high in Kashmir as well. however judicious employement of "Road opening" patrols etc cut down on such losses.

So they are vulnerable to IEDs/mines if in a vehicle. And vulnerable to small arms fire if on foot. I guess thats where the usage of a good intelligence network and strategy comes in.