CRPF to raise four more battalions to counter Naxals

CRPF to raise four more battalions to counter NaxalsCoimbatore, Oct 7 : Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force, A. S. Gill, today said that four new commando battalions will be added to the paramilitary forces especially to fight left wing extremism.

He was talking to reporters after inspecting the 17th raising day parade of the Rapid Action Force (RAF) in Coimbatore on Wednesday.

"We are raising another three battalions this year, there is going to be one female battalion, the ''Mahila battalion'' as we call it and two other battalions are going to be raised this year, in addition to that we are in the process of raising four commando battalions.... this will be basically for the LWE region, the Left Wing Extremist areas,'' Gill told reporters.

Gill also pointed out that fighting the Maoists is a challenging task but the forces are gearing up and will tackle the menace well.

"The terrain in which they (Maoists) are working, the mountainous, the forest, the jungle terrain, that, plus the manpower that they are able to generate, large number at times, that does pose a challenge," added Gill.

Gill said the first step would be generating confidence amongst the tribals in Maoist infected areas and help them get over the fear that has been instilled in them, so that they can cooperate with the forces.

Gill also said that the CRPF was keeping up with the latest technological advancements to maintain its efficiency and keep up its fight against terrorism and Maoists.

RAF is a specialised wing of the Indian CRPF, the world''s largest paramilitary force that has 203 battalions and is the main striking force against the insurgents in the northeast, Jammu and Kashmir and Maoists affected areas.

India is battling Maoists across eastern, central and southern India, an insurgency that Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described as the biggest internal security challenge since independence. (ANI)