The Centre ordered immediate withdrawal of about 10,000 paramilitary personnel from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said

Srinagar: The Centre ordered immediate withdrawal of about 10,000 paramilitary personnel from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

They said the decision was taken after the Ministry of Home Affairs reviewed the deployment of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) in the union territory (UT).

PhotoThe Home Ministry had last withdrawn 10 CAPF companies from the UT in May, while 72 such units were taken out in December last year.

A senior official said that a total of 100 CAPF companies have been ordered to be withdrawn immediately and they have been asked to revert to their base locations in the country.

As per the directions, a total of 40 companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and 20 each of the Central Industrial Security Force, the Border Security Force and the Sashastra Seema Bal, will be taken out from Jammu and Kashmir by this week.

Photo

The CRPF has been asked to make arrangements for air lifting of these units to Delhi and other locations, they said.

With the latest de-induction, the lead counter-terrorist force CRPF will have a strength of about 60 battalions (about 1,000 personnel in each battalion) in the Kashmir valley apart from very few units of the other CAPFs.