Early Times Report
JAMMU, Feb 13: The February 11 terror attack on Sunjuwan Army camp has naturally raised many new questions. Three of the questions being raised are: "How to secure a camp that is in the middle of a civilian area without turning it into a fortress?" "Is technology the answer?" "Is there more to be done, and should the Army make a long-term plan to secure such camps?"
Former and many serving Army officers have spoken. They have said: "Any plan must be multi-pronged, of which camp security is one part, and consolidation - squeezing of smaller camps into bigger ones - another. But the plan must also extend to bringing down the levels of infiltration from across the border".
It needs to be underlined that Jammu city alone has five major Army camps. These are under the Western Command. These are located at Chatha, Ratnuchak, Kaluchak, Satwari and Sunjuwan. There are also a couple of smaller army camps in Jammu city. All these major and small Army camps are crowded in by civilian residential neighbourhoods on all sides. Sunjuwan, which is spread over an area of 7 sq km, is, according to Army officers "is a classic example". They have said: "The Jammu-Srinagar Highway, lined with hotels and shopping malls, lies to one side of the camp; on the other three sides, and especially at the back, are bustling civilian settlements. The land around Army camps is much sought after, and the demand drives up prices".
Speaking on the issue, Lt Gen Deependra Singh Hooda (retd), whose last posting was as GoC-in-C of the Udhampur-based Northern Command, has said: "When a camp is bang in the middle of a civilian area, it's difficult to monitor who is coming, who is seeing what. It makes it very easy to recce and scope out the place for an attack, plan the routes to take, etc." "For two years we have had a plan in place for securing the garrisons. Detailed plans were made as to what was required for each garrison, the boundary walls, some sort of smart fencing, senors, a control room where someone can monitor the perimeter," Lt Gen Hooda also said.
These Army camps in Jammu city came up before the commencement of militancy in 1987. Though Jammu is close to the International Border, yet all the camps are family stations. And the militants clearly planned to target these more vulnerable structures. According to former and serving Army officers, "The camps are typically massive sprawls; some offer civilians easy access, and public thoroughfares sometimes cut across them" and that "all have perimeter walls, but their maintenance is a major challenge".
They have said: "After the January 2016 Pathankot attack, a committee headed by Lt Gen Philip Campose had recommended strengthening the fortifications, including 'smart' access control, and fencing with sensors and alarm systems to detect intrusions in real time. But nearly two years after the Campose report was submitted, Army camps typically still use jugaad to secure themselves". They also disclosed that "plans started to be drawn up after the March 2015 Samba attack, and all they have required is funds" and that "the money has now been allocated, but it could take a year or more to put systems in place".
The February 12 Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's Jammu statement that demography of the Sunjuwan area and local support could have helped the terrorists to launch terror attack on the Sunjuwan Army Camp needs to be viewed in the context of what former and serving Army officers have said on the terror attack. |
