Ø Kashmir has witnessed a dramatic shift in the nature of militancy
in recent months, resulting in the end of the supremacy of Lashkar-e-Taiba
(LeT), with a majority of members from Pakistan. The indigenous Hizbul
Mujahideen, with almost all members from Kashmir, is now back as the number one
militant group. Many see it as a warning to policymakers in both New Delhi and
Srinagar to wake up to the new tide of local youths joining militancy, and the dramatic
indigenisation of militant violence, which since the late 1990s was dominated
by LeT. The shift also means that the attacks are getting milder, and suicide
raids are no more routine. About 200 active militants are operating in the
State. Of them, over 80 are in Hizbul Mujahideen, officials say. In the most
dependable estimates available from J&K police and other sources, LeT has
about 60 members, of which 40 are believed to be Pakistanis. Many other
militant groups have altogether vanished or are on the fringe. The most
interesting case is that of Al Badar, once a dreaded group known for its
suicide attacks and commitment to liberate Kashmir to make it a part of
Pakistan. Reliable estimates say that Al Badar may have just one active
militant left in its ranks. Jaish-e-Mohammed, founded by Maulana Masood Azhar,
who was released in 1999 in Kandahar in exchange for passengers of the hijacked
IC 814 aircraft, is now down to less than a dozen militants on its rolls. A
J&K police official said this turnaround, resulting in HM becoming the
biggest militant group, may have happened because about 60 youths, most of them
educated, joined it in recent months. In 2014, just 27 youths had joined
militancy, and the number of youngsters joining militancy had dropped to single
digit figures some years ago.
Ø The first edition of the biennial bilateral maritime exercises
between the two major Indian Ocean naval powers – Australia and India –
AUSINDEX 15 began on board Indian Navy stealth frigate INS Shivalik. The
bilateral exercises that have been a long time in the making got a push after
the Prime Ministers of the two countries signed a Framework for Security
Cooperation in 2014, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet Rear Admiral Ajendra
Bahadur Singh of the Indian Navy told the media after he along with Head Navy
Capability of Royal Australian Navy Rear Admiral Jonathan Mead inaugurated the
exercise at the Eastern Naval Command here. Australian High Commissioner in
India Patrick Suckling was present. These are bilateral exercises intended to
further the maritime and strategic interests of the two countries. This is a
watershed in navy-navy cooperation, Rear Admiral Mead declared. There has been
a rise in the number of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations
and the exercise would further the ability to undertake regional joint and/or
combined operations for the benefit people in the Indian Ocean region.
Ø Indian and Chinese troops are locked in another standoff at Burtse
in northern Ladakh after India objected to China building a watch tower. As
China rejected India’s objections both sides moved a platoon each of soldiers
in a show of strength.
Ø In an effort to speed up defence procurements and build domestic
expertise in critical areas, the government is planning to build “strategic
partnerships” with the private sector and has appointed a committee to
formulate the guidelines for forging such partnerships. The committee has been
appointed under the chairmanship of VK. Aatre, former chief of the Defence Research
and Development Organisation (DRDO), to formulate the guidelines in six
critical areas and is expected to submit its report in 3-4 weeks. The idea is
to have one or two domestic firms with expertise in each critical area which
includes submarines, aircraft, missiles, electronic warfare systems, Unmanned
Aerial Vehicles (UAV) and critical materials and components. Once a domestic
partner is selected talks will be initiated with foreign technology provider or
FDI partner to bring in the technology.
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