'Shaurya commandos' prepared: ITBP chief flags ‘ongoing’ China faceoff along Arunachal border

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has raised a new combat unit, the Shaurya commandos, who have demonstrated their capabilities during the “ongoing” faceoff with Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops at multiple locations in Arunachal Pradesh, ITBP chief Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor said on Thursday.Kapoor said the commandos would be deployed in every border battalion as the force strengthens its combat readiness along the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. The ITBP chief’s remarks came as the force steps up its modernisation drive, with a greater focus on emerging warfare technologies and specialised training.Addressing personnel at an ITBP base in Alwar, Rajasthan, ahead of the force’s 65th Raising Day on October 24, Kapoor said traditional methods of warfare were no longer sufficient to counter China, which he described as India’s “biggest adversary”.The force has raised drone platoons in all its border-guarding battalions and is training personnel to operate drones and develop the technology. Kapoor said the ITBP had received Rs 400 crore in government funding, with 70% earmarked for strengthening its drone warfare capabilities. The Ministry of Home Affairs has also given in-principle approval to a Rs 4,000-crore modernisation plan, including Rs 1,000 crore for drone and anti-drone systems.The ITBP has also developed a new ‘Strike’ course to prepare personnel for combat situations similar to the June 2020 Galwan Valley clash. Kapoor said the entire force would undergo the training by the end of 2027.During the Galwan clash in eastern Ladakh, 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a violent confrontation with Chinese troops. China later acknowledged the deaths of four of its soldiers.Beyond combat training and technology, the force is also strengthening infrastructure at forward locations. Kapoor said the ITBP was building underground shelters in border areas to reduce vulnerabilities in the event of a conflict, as above-ground structures could become targets during a war.The force is also upgrading troop facilities in high-altitude areas, including insulating barracks, installing solar water heaters and providing generator sets to ensure electricity at remote posts. It has introduced cold-start kits to help vehicles start in freezing conditions.Kapoor said these measures were part of a broader plan to develop the ITBP into a specialised high-altitude mountain-fighting force capable of responding to evolving security challenges along the China border.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.

Source: Times of India