Post-Pulwama, troop movement a big challenge

New Delhi, Feb 15 (IANS) The Pulwama attack has forced the forces to go back to the operation table to rework the entire security matrix as they fear that deployment of troops will be impacted in the state if the vehicle-ramming tactics by terrorists become a norm.

The officials said the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) had the intelligence input about a possible attack using Improvised Explosive Device (IEDs) around the anniversary of Afzal Guru's hanging on February 9, but it was never envisaged that terrorists will use car bombing to target convoys. 

As an immediate measure, Home Minister Rajnath Singh has already announced that traffic would now be stopped during the movement of security forces' convoys even on busy roads such as the Jammu-Srinagar Highway where the attack took place.

A senior official said the road was never sanitized earlier because of inconvenience it caused to the people and admitted that even the road opening party (ROP) could not detect the suspicious vehicle. 

Reacting to the criticism that the movement of troops, around 2,500 of them, made them easy targets, the officials said the large transportation was planned to deter any ambush, but it failed because the vehicle-ramming tactics was not factored in. 

The officials admit that deployment of troops will now become a big challenge.