Indian Air Force’s Garuds deployed in Amarnath yatra, Eastern Ladakh for special operations

Two teams from the Indian Air Force’s Garud Special Forces have been deployed to the Kashmir valley to conduct counter-terrorism activities along with specialist operations in the Eastern Ladakh sector. These skilled Garud special forces operatives have successfully executed several missions in the Kashmir valley, honing their expertise in counter-terrorism operations. Highly trained for conducting operations in hilly areas and urban terrain, the Garud Special Forces of IAF were initially deployed in the valley in 2007 and 2209 and redeployed in 2017, the Commanding Officer of a Garud unit told ANI in an exclusive interaction. The forces were also deployed during the 2017 China-India border standoff or Doklam standoff, he said. Doklam is an area between India, Bhutan and China. The Doklam plateau issue rose to the limelight in 2017 when under the CCP’s leadership, Chinese troops with construction vehicles and road-building equipment, began extending an existing road southward in Doklam. Speaking to ANI, a commander of the Garud Special Force said, “Garud Forces have undertaken various operations in the valley and they have also achieved a lot of success by eliminating a number of terrorists. At present, there are two teams that are deployed here along with the Indian Army.” “The Special Forces commander recalled that the special forces were deployed in the valley in 2007 and 2009. “Thereafter, they were redeployed in 2017,” he said. “We have got much success due to our rigorous training. We have also lost three Garuds in these operations also,” he said. The commander added the special forces have been awarded one Ashok Chakra, five Shaurya Chakra and four Gallantry awards. “The forces are also conducting operations in hilly areas and Urban terrain. We have also been deployed in higher reaches as well,” he said. On the role of Garunds during the stand-off on the Eastern front and on the Northern Borders as well, he said,” Garunds are continuously deployed there since the 2017 China–India border standoff". With inputs from ANI.