Kashmir: a simmering, sometimes brutal small war

[carl]

As Kashmir was mountainous, the standard operating units was a rifle company averaging a strength of 50 - 60 men ( the balance 60 being away on leave, training courses, administrative details, base security etc.). This company would on average have about 100 sq km ( 10km by 10 km) or a small valley to cover. Based on informer intel, surveillance patrols, or police intel, the company would split into 7 - 8 teams and lay a combination of ambushes & cordon around villages at night. A search would be carried by day ( DAY ONLY). The police, including policewomen, would assist in controlling the civil population except in really remote villages where we would do it ourselves. Normally 3 -4 militants would be caught / killed in such operations. The area was also extensively dominated by patrols & ambushes to restrict freedom of movement. A very, very important reason for our success is that we were just not road or track bound. The hardiness of the average Indian soldier & the immense strength of the regimental system were critical factors in achieving tactical success. Also all that we would carry would be ammunition, no bullet-proof jackets, no helmets, little food & water. It helped very much to move light. In those days we didnt even have NVDs.

Gurkha:

I have some questions that are probably obvious to others but not to me.

How long would the 60 man unit stay in its small valley or 10x10 km area?

Where would they stay? Would they stay in houses, police stations, purpose built facilities etc.?

Would the 60 man unit put out 7-8 cordons or ambushes every night or only on some nights? How many guys did you normally have on each ambush?

How far would each little ambush group normally walk to get to their set-up site? What was the max distance they could set something from where they slept and ate?

In the little area or valley, who was the king so to speak, the Indian Army commander, the local police commander or did the the two work together?

Where did the intel used by the 60 man unit mostly come from, the unit itself, the police or a source outside the small area or valley?

Could outside units swoop in to do things without the approval or knowledge of the king of the little area or valley?

If you have time, I'd be obliged to you if you could answer some of these questions. They are probably blindingly obvious to most but not to me.

[Ray]

Gurkha:

I have some questions that are probably obvious to others but not to me.

How long would the 60 man unit stay in its small valley or 10x10 km area?

Where would they stay? Would they stay in houses, police stations, purpose built facilities etc.?

Would the 60 man unit put out 7-8 cordons or ambushes every night or only on some nights? How many guys did you normally have on each ambush?

How far would each little ambush group normally walk to get to their set-up site? What was the max distance they could set something from where they slept and ate?

In the little area or valley, who was the king so to speak, the Indian Army commander, the local police commander or did the the two work together?

Where did the intel used by the 60 man unit mostly come from, the unit itself, the police or a source outside the small area or valley?

Could outside units swoop in to do things without the approval or knowledge of the king of the little area or valley?

If you have time, I'd be obliged to you if you could answer some of these questions. They are probably blindingly obvious to most but not to me.

There are no hard and fast rules of deployment.

It depends on the degree of threat in that area of responsibility of a Battalion.

In some areas, they operate from Battalion bases, and in some areas, the Battalion is dispersed in Company Posts. These posts are located on dominating features and on the estimated likely approaches of the terrorists, as also to have observation over villages that are known to be havens for terrorists.

Based on the intelligence, ambushes are sent out, the strength being such that the post or base has adequate numbers for administration as also capable of defending itself from any terrorist attack.

These ambushes are coordinated on a Battalion grid.

There is no King as such. It is a tacit understanding that since the Army has to do the actual operation, the command and control is that of the Army echelon. The Police are basically to act for Liaison and oversee that no law as such is violated.

Ambushes are laid within a few hours of turnaround from the post. However, when intelligence is there of mass infiltration, the strength goes up and so does the distance and turnaround time.

Intelligence is bottom up and top down. It is constantly collated and disseminated. Electronic surveillance gives immense amount of information of terrorists plan.