Early Times Report
JAMMU, May 30: If reports emanating from various quarters are to be believed, then it can be said that the situation in Jammu province is far from normal. Reports suggest that the J&K government is all set to revive the Special Operations Group (SOG) in the Jammu province's 9 districts. It was during the PDP-Congress regime that SOG was disbanded in 2002. That time, late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was heading the coalition government.
Reports suggest that the authorities could equip the Anti-terror Group (ATG) with "latest and sophisticated gadgetry, including Bullet-Proof vehicles". Reports said: "The new SOG will also take up the additional task of forming the Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs)''.
The reported decision to revive the SOG, which exists only in the solitary Jammu district at present, in all the remaining 9 districts of Jammu province - Kathua, Samba, Rajouri, Poonch, Reasi, Udhampur, Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban - has solid reasons behind it. The most notable one is that terrorists of Lashkar-e-Toibai, (LeT), Hizbul Mujahideen and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) are trying to revive militancy across the province. All these districts were declared as terrorist-free years ago.
As of today, the SOG is confined to Jammu district only. As for other 9 districts of the strategically located province, there is only Deputy SP Operations. The Dy SP Operations have little manpower. They are also reportedly without sophisticated weaponry.
As per reports, the government has decided to "revive the SOG and assign them the role the anti-terror body was having before 2002 when the then Government had disbanded the highly professional operational group against the militants in one of the first decisions taken after takeover of first PDP-Congress coalition Government in the State"
"We will also equip the SOG with entire modernized equipments including latest weaponry and Bullet-Proof vehicles (known as Bunkers) shortly to help them tackle the threat posed by the terror outfits to revive militancy and go for pro-active approach i.e. to crush the terrorism before it could raise its ugly head,'' sources were quoted as saying. |
