Indian Army Plans to Re-introduce Cordon and Search Operations (CASO)

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After a gap of 15 years, Indian Army has planned to re-introduce cordon & search operations (CASO) as a part of its counter terrorism operations, due to increasing militant attacks in the Kashmir Valley.

The key objective of the Indian Army behind the CASO’s re-introduction is to control the militants’ issues in the Kashmir Valley.

Army has plans to carry out CASO on a large scale to flush out militants from the areas like Shopian, Kulgam, Tral, Pulwama, and Budgam in South Kashmir.

About CASO:

Re-introduce Cordon and Search Operations (CASO)was a regular part of counter-terrorism operations of the Indian Army in the 1990s. “Area Domination and Sweep” Operations were used by the security forces in the 1990s.

During 1990s such operations were majorly conducted by the Indian Army against militants. Later the Army made a switch to specific intelligence-based operations, after the opposition from the people of the areas.

The Army discontinued the CASO operations and started conducting intelligence-based operations that included small teams to control the situation in the militant-hit areas of Kashmir.

Indian Army has planned to re-introduce CASO to flush out militants from Kashmir, after the recent kidnapping and killing of twenty-two year old unarmed Kashmiri Army officer Lieutenant Ummer Fayaz by militants in Shopian in districts of Jammu and Kashmir.

Recently, massive cordon and combing operations have been conducted by the police, Army, and security forces in Shopian district of South Kashmir, following the recent attacks by militants on policemen, civilians and banking facilities.

The Army and security forces carried out a massive combing operation after 15 years that involved 4,000 troops, to flush out militants from the areas of Kashmir.

Bottom Line:

Security forces in Kashmir had to conduct a massive cordon and search operation, which included use of helicopters and unmanned drones, to prevent the local youth from joining militants.

This was a much needed step to control the situation in the Kashmir Valley, which is on a boil after the recent killing of a military officer Lt. Ummer Fayaz and attacks on civilians.

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