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IAF called in to locate militant hideouts

Josy Joseph in New Delhi

An Indian Air Force helicopter was pressed into service on Friday to carry out a reconnaissance mission over the forests of Tripura to locate hideouts of insurgents. The unique recce was carried out at the request of the state government.

Tripura state authorities had made the request after the police expressed helplessness in tracking down some recently abducted people. At an emergency meeting, IAF brass at Vayu Bhawan decided to accede to the state government's request.

The Tripura government had asserted there was a need for aerial pictures to locate the hideouts of the militants, who are taking advantage of the state's forest cover.

This is an unprecedented decision by the air force since the IAF has always kept out of anti-insurgency operations, except in Kargil, which in reality was an undeclared war, air force sources said.

"Only one helicopter will be used, and there won't be any other dimension other than a recce," one of them said.

They said a Chetak helicopter from the Kumbhigram airbase under the Eastern Air Command has been sent on the mission. The operations were co-ordinated by the Tripura inspector general of police.

Tripura has seen enhanced militancy in recent times, including large-scale attacks and an increase in the number of kidnappings. In May, militants killed 18 Central Reserve Police Force personnel. On June 10, they struck again, killing 18 others, including 16 personnel of the Territorial Army and the General Reserve Engineering Force.

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