Opinion To deter terror activity in the Valley, after Pahalgam, back to basics
Area Domination Patrols are critical in ensuring a sense of omnipresence of security forces
Security personnel near the site of the Pahalgam terror attack. 
-
Share -
-
-
High-military leaders RARELY need to look at basic tactics; they have onerous responsibilities which demand that they leave micro-management to their subordinates and trust them with the execution. That is the principle followed by the Indian Army, and very successfully too. However, many a time, General Officers have premonitions and therefore, the temptation to get into a bit of micromanagement and see how the basics are in their areas of responsibility. In counter insurgency (CI) and counter terrorism (CT) operations, basics are a must as is respect for premonition. However, as a long-standing CI/CT commander, my deepest obsession is always with what is called the area domination patrol (ADP). This comes in the domain of micromanagement, the most innocuous and uncomplicated of military manoeuvres. How did I get this obsession?
On a particularly bad day in Kashmir in 1999, at a time when the average number of encounters per day in our area of responsibility in south Kashmir was 11-12, I was briefing my General Officer on the conduct of operations over the next three days. Sitting in the Victor Force operations room in Awantipura, the General suddenly pointed a laser light to a part of the heights above Tral and inquired when we had last patrolled that area. I responded, “Never”. “Then you have given it away to the terrorists,” he said. I argued and debated the issue as only a confident Colonel General Staff can with his superior General Officer. “There has been no terrorist presence there for the last one year. Why should we waste our resources on patrolling that area?” I asked.
“Simply because domination and showing our presence there will ensure that terrorists do not dare to enter that area, if they have never done so thus far. If our troops are seen there once in a while, the terrorists would never know when we can appear there again,” the General said. And that cleared my mind forever.
An ADP is simply the tactical movement of a few good men over an area of ground at unpredictable times, with tactical deployment for short periods, primarily in ambush mode. To those who could be watching or carrying out regular surveillance over that area, the possibility of that unpredictable movement ensures suspense, and therefore, makes them think several times before deciding to move into that area. ADPs need to be launched at variable times but definitely before anticipated high-threat periods. In addition, ADPs create a sense of omnipresence of the security forces, making it harder for terrorists to move freely, transport weapons, or plan attacks. It also restricts their freedom of action and denies them safe zones. ADPs serve as eyes and ears on the ground. Regular presence in ambushes facilitates troops to observe suspicious activity, track new faces in the area, and detect early signs of any potential terrorist buildup. As my General Officer very correctly said, “It prevents terrorists from having the comfort of prolonged presence and complete familiarity with the area they wish to exploit.”
“Back to basics” is always a norm that effective commanders follow. Some of these basics can be quite uncomfortable for those who execute them and extremely repetitive. Yet, that boredom saves lives and ensures that our camps and other locations are safe from the possibility of terrorist surveillance. The ADP is something which the Army must keep revisiting as a norm especially when there are good times and long periods free of terrorist activity. Those seeking to revive their own relevance will always be wary of the unpredictability brought on by ADPs.
The writer is a former corps commander of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps and a member of the National Disaster Management Authority. Views are personal
-
Share
-
-
-
Share
