New Delhi: The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has expanded its operational footprint in Jammu & Kashmir by increasing the number of temporary operating bases (TOBs) from 45 to 55 under a counterterror strategy post the Pahalgam terror attack. The new bases are meant to beef up security operations in far-flung mountain areas and tighten surveillance along porous infiltration routes.
The TOBs, located at altitudes of 8,000 to 10,000 feet, are designed to deny foreign terrorists access to remote hideouts while enabling security forces to maintain a sustained presence in difficult terrain. The deployment is expected to support round-the-clock operations and strengthen monitoring across infiltration corridors.
The CRPF has also deployed 232 companies for the ongoing Shri Amarnath Yatra, while directors general of all central armed police forces have been directed to remain in Jammu & Kashmir on a rotational basis to oversee security arrangements. According to official figures, 275,618 pilgrims had visited the cave shrine till July 13.
According to Times Now, the expansion of TOBs is part of a broader security recalibration aimed at intensifying anti-terror operations in the Valley following the Pahalgam attack. The report added that the Centre plans to replace on-the-spot registration with a fixed registration system during the next phase of the Yatra to better regulate pilgrim movement.
CRPF revises Manipur CoBRA SOPs after violence
In a separate development, the CRPF has revised its standard operating procedures (SOPs) for deploying its elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) units in Manipur following recent unrest. The move comes after the violence in Senapati district, as reported earlier by RNA, with the updated procedures making law-and-order management a key component of CoBRA operations alongside its traditional counter-insurgency role.
Under the revised SOPs, CoBRA personnel will move only in bulletproof vehicles, while unnecessary troop movement has been restricted to minimise friction with civilians. Bulletproof armoured vehicles have also been brought in from other parts of the country, and CoBRA teams have been tasked with demolishing insurgent bunkers and clearing potential ambush points.
More than 300 companies of security forces, including central armed police forces, over two dozen companies of the Assam Rifles and state police personnel, remain deployed across Manipur. Authorities will assess operational requirements before deciding whether additional CoBRA units are required.
Joint operations across the northeast have resulted in the apprehension of 250 anti-national elements and Kuki National Front cadres, while 13 insurgents have surrendered. Security forces also recovered 289 weapons, nearly 5,000 rounds of ammunition and 36 grenades.