New Delhi — The Indian Army carried out a multi‑day mock drill in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, simulating a terrorist assault on a civilian area to assess and improve operational readiness, officials said.
The exercise, overseen by the Rashtriya Rifles and supported by units stationed along the Line of Control (LoC) and in the district’s hinterland, involved staged attacks on a mock market and residential compound. Troops practiced rapid evacuation of civilians, deployment of medical teams, and coordination with local police, the district administration and the Jammu & Kashmir Police’s Special Operations Group.
Security forces also tested communication protocols between the army, the state’s disaster management authority and the National Disaster Response Force, aiming to streamline joint responses to any real‑world incident. “The drill is designed to fine‑tune our response mechanisms, from cordoning off the area to providing immediate medical aid and moving civilians to safety,” a senior army officer briefed to reporters, requesting anonymity for operational reasons.
The mock operation follows a recent tightening of security in the Surankote and Mendhar tehsils, where authorities have heightened vigilance after intelligence inputs suggested possible militant infiltration. The army’s exercise is part of a broader effort to deter cross‑border infiltration and improve rapid reaction capabilities along the volatile LoC.
Analysis: The drill underscores the Indian military’s focus on integrated civil‑military response in a region that remains prone to cross‑border skirmishes and insurgent activity. By involving multiple agencies, the army appears to be addressing past critiques of fragmented coordination during emergencies. The timing—amid heightened alerts in neighboring tehsils—suggests a proactive stance to demonstrate deterrence and reassure the local populace. However, the lack of publicly available after‑action reports limits independent assessment of the drill’s efficacy and any identified gaps.
Sources
– Times of India, “Army conducts mock drill in J&K to enhance operational preparedness,” https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/defence/news/army-conducts-mock-drill-in-jk-to-enhance-operational-preparedness/articleshow/132202890.cms
Story synopsis gathered from: Times of India – Top Stories — source
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