SF-10 commandos to launch operations against militants

STAFF CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG, Sept 24: Special Force-10 (SF-10), a new elite police force, is expected to add more teeth to the Meghalaya Police force in counter insurgency operations as well as in maintaining law and order in the state.

The first batches of SF-10 cadets are expected to formally don the elite force uniform by the first week of next month after a yearlong strenuous and rigorous specialist training at the 1st MLP Battalion training centre.

The members of the ‘elitist force’ are specially trained by special instructors from the Indian Army and other security agencies to meet the demands of time and they are raring to go and prove their prowess by the first week of October, Meghalaya Director General of Police (DGP) SK Jain told The Sentinel.

The force elitist tag does not come simply from the specialized training but also from its composition that is a blend of the fresher’s and the experienced men who have not cross the age of 40.

The label of Special Force could be further vindicated when out of the chosen 340 cadets ,only 222 could make it into the cut of a commando while 115 will  be absolved in law and order duties, informed the DGP .

“Besides the new cadets, experiences also come up with this force because the already existing SWAT men have also been inducted to gain the tactics and field craft. This adds more efficiency to the force that is imbibed with all mental and emotiol toughness of a commando in any combatant formation. They are men who can overcome any challenges days in and out and in all seasons,” stated Jain while divulging that 160 odd trained SWAT members who volunteered to join the SF-10 have also undertaken a rigorous training that will fit in the elitist group of the state police.

Already around 800 suitable light and heavy weapons have arrived along with 50 odd vehicles to add to the arsel of SF-10, informed Jain.

Asked on the deployment of the SF-10, the State Police Chief said, “There will be small compact teams with sufficient logistics and fast mobility.”

He said that they will seamlessly react to any situation when put on the field.

While it is understood from the objectives of the government in raising this new unit of the police to contain militancy in the state, it is also obvious that their first deployment will be militancy affected districts of Garo Hills.

They are expected to join the Operation Hill storm-4, an operations which the police have just carried out to annihilate the last core groups of GNLA militants who are hiding in the thick forests of Garo Hills. As reported by The Sentinel, there are around 40-50 GNLA cadres under the command of the self-styled chief of GNLA, Sohan D Shira who are subtly operating in pockets of Garo Hills.