According to media reports, the Indian government is mulling the formation of an elite unit for behind the enemy lines operations. A senior government official said that we are planning to set up a ‘surgical strike’ unit comprising the best soldiers of all three forces i.e army, navy and air force.
The unit will be well equipped to make any surprise attack deep inside enemy territory with precision, inflicting maximum damage and leaving the battlefield as quickly as possible, similar to the operation carried out by our defense forces on seven terrorist launch pads across the Line of Control in September 2016. An official, on account of being anonymous, said, “The government feels the need for a special group with enhanced skills, so a unit having the best officers from all the three branches of the armed forces is being planned”.
The project is the brainchild of NSA Ajit Doval and is aimed at providing India a strategic advantage in swift, retaliatory actions of covert nature. The commando group will have warriors and officers from Garud, Marcos, Para Commandos and the Special Forces. The government decided to take these steps in the wake of continuous infiltration attempts and ceasefire violations by Pakistani forces. “It’s also a tactic of psychological warfare to put the enemy under stress,” the official said.
According to a report, there are more than three thousand reported violations along the Line of Control and nearly one thousand in the first half of 2018. Besides India’s announcement of observing a cease-fire during the month of Ramadan in May 2018, they continued their attacks. These regular violations and pinchings forced India to take a firm step in order to strengthen its defense further and prepare for the future surgical strikes. There were also reports of a ‘surgical strike 2.0’ in the Poonch sector of POK in the month of December last year.
Besides having top fighting skills, the attack unit will be trained in reading hi-tech maps and coordinating with aerial support. The surgical strike unit will be tasked with carrying out covert operations similar to that of Navy Seals or Special Actions Division of the CIA. Similar to any world-class special task force, the assault group will have two sub-units an attack unit, and a support unit. Subdivisions are made in order to ensure a smooth operation with flawless coordination.
The unit will have 96 members in the planning group and 124 members in the assault group. A senior officer of the National Security Council said, “A note pertaining to it has been sent to the cabinet committee”. “Threats from air and sea are multiplying every day, so in the times to come we need to be prepared, that’s why this unit is being created,” he added.
The name of the special unit is not yet known. Government is planning to have a separate budget and appropriate infrastructure to maintain the force. “It’s going to be a unified unit. And this group will have soldiers who have experience in handling counter-insurgency situations,” the official said.