Army pulls out 2 battalions from NE; plans further reduction

Army Pulls Out 2 Battalions from NE; Plans Further Reduction

In an interaction with a select group of journalists including DH, Gen Naravane said that in future the Army would concentrate more on the “conventional warfare” in the Northeast rather than the counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations, which is the norm at the moment.

Indian Army has withdrawn two battalions of troops from Northeast and would further reduce its presence on the ground in the next two and half years, Army Chief Gen M M Naravane said.

In an interaction with a select group of journalists including DH, Gen Naravane said that in future the Army would concentrate more on the “conventional warfare” in the Northeast rather than the counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism operations, which is the norm at the moment.

This is for the first time in nearly four decades that the Army announced cutting down its troops from the conflict zones of the Northeast, which was heavily affected by militancy since the rise of ULFA in the late 1970s.

“Two battalions (nearly 1500 troops) have already been taken out and once the Bodoland (Territorial Council) elections are over, we would reduce more troops. In the next 2-2.5 years we would concentrate fully on conventional warfare in the Northeast rather than CI/CT operations,” he said.

General Naravane said that the Northeast was going through a transition phase as the security situation was improving.


Source: Deccan Herald

Image Courtesy: The Economic Times