Valiantly in the Valley

I spent six days in Kashmir with CRPF’s elite commando unit Valley QAT which has the distinction of zero civilian casualties in 42 operations.
Valley QAT carries out various drills on a routine basis that include conducting catch (cordon) and search operations. Among the country’s top anti-terror commandos, Valley QAT works in tandem with the Indian Army and J&K Police.

The commando group was formed in 2011 and draws highly skilled and trained soldiers from various units of CRPF and is among the first responders to any major terrorist attack in Srinagar city.

Specialising in urban warfare, the commandos counter terrorists who use civilian and civil property as shields. Working and training hard, the commandos neutralise the advantages terrorists have sought to gain in urban landscapes. An understanding of population distribution and use of civilian assets is paramount. The safety of civilians is the utmost priority and makes operations more challenging.

Recently, women have also been inducted into Valley QAT. Also, to garner the support of the locals, Kashmiri youth are encouraged to join the elite force to undertake tough operations in treacherous conditions. With women commandos increasingly deployed, there is a growing trust between the forces and the locals. In 2020, for the first time, a woman took command when Charu Sinha was appointed inspector general of CRPF for the Srinagar Sector. She was earlier dealing with Naxalites in Bihar.