Fortifying security installations thwart fidayeen attacks in Jammu and Kashmir

The raising of boundary walls of Army installations, police stations and CRPF camps in Jammu and Kashmir has successfully thwarted any fidayeen (suicide) attack in the last one year.

The boundary walls were raised under a joint project funded by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) which was sanctioned in 2018 to counter fidayeen attacks on security installations.

In August 2017, three fidayeen of Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit had in a pre-dawn attack stormed district police lines in Pulwama district. In more than an 18-hour-long encounter, all three fidayeen and eight security men were killed while a dozen security personnel were also injured.

“Fidayeen took advantage of a low and under construction rare wall of DPL Pulwama to sneak in. Similarly in other fidayeen attacks which took before and after the DPL Pulwama attack, it was observed that militants were taking advantage of low boundary walls to sneak in,” a senior CRPF officer told DH. He said after a series of reviews, top security brass in J&K decided to plug the loopholes by renovating all police stations, Army and CRPF camps while as the height of walls around them was raised to at least 12 to 15 feet.

Sources said the money for the project was released by the MHA under Security Related Expenditure (SRE) for police and CRPF while as MoD released the funds for the Army. “Rs 200 crore sanctioned by the MHA has been received so far and a major chunk of this amount is being spent on the renovation, repair and raising the heights of walls,” they said.

A police officer said that first sensitive south Kashmir districts of Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam, and Anantnag were taken under the projects. “Srinagar was also covered. There are hardly any sensitive security installations where renovation activity is yet to be undertaken,” he revealed.

However, an Army officer said they started “overhauling of its security installations” soon after Panthankote and Uri fidayeen attacks in 2016. “We have a separate security budget. We receive funds from the Defence Ministry directly,” he said and added the exercise stands complete in Kashmir.

Fidayeen attempts, which include surprise and shock as essential elements, are bound to cause greater damage when compared to hit and run or standoff fire assaults.

“Amongst the major fidayeen attacks that have taken place in recent years, terrorists have struck an active battalion headquarters, police stations, formation headquarters, peacetime military units and security establishments,” the officer said and warned regardless of the kind of preparation to fortify security installations, fidayeen attacks can’t be ruled out in future