Indian Army Begins Withdrawing From Counter-Insurgency Ops In Parts Of Assam As Violence Falls To 3-Decade Low

In light of the plummeting rates of separatist violence in the state, now at a three-decade low, Indian Army soldiers are being taken out of active counter insurgency (CI) operations across some parts of Assam, reports Hindustan Times.

“The Indian Army has been withdrawn from the counter insurgency grid in around eight to ten districts of the state barring Upper Assam and Bodo Territorial Area Districts as of now,” said a senior police officer.

The withdrawal will take place over multiple phases after review of the situation by the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Home Affairs. Paramilitary forces and the state police are stepping in to take over in the areas where the Army is no longer actively engaged in CI operations.

In some areas, the Army continues to share intelligence with local authorities even though it is no longer directly involved in countering insurgents.

The disturbed area tag had been renewed for Assam in August this year in consideration of the NRC exercise and its aftermath. Otherwise, anti-state violence itself does not make for the need for the tag; only 28 such incidents were reports in the state in 2018, down from 169 in 2012.