NSG Black Cats to be deployed in Kashmir Valley

Home ministry is working on a proposal to deploy NSG's elite Black Cat commandos in the Kashmir Valley for the first time since the start of militancy.

Sources said the ministry plans to deploy a unit of these Black Cat commandos in the Kashmir Valley for high specialised anti- terror operations, particularly to deal with hostage situations.

These Black Cat commandos will assist the army, para- military forces and Jammu and Kashmir police in counterterror offensive.

“It is not that Black Cat commandos would be deployed for every operations. But these will be kept on standby and used only in specialised offensive to counter militants. The routine counter insurgency work would be done by the army and para- military forces, the Black Cats will only assist them in some difficult operations,” a senior security official said.

The Union home ministry and other security agencies have been for long planning to deploy Black Cat commandos in the Valley. Sources said the move has been delayed as the security establishment had been analysing different aspect of whether such a specialised force should be deployed in the terror infested region.

There is considerable concern among security establishments over an "unprecedented increase'' in the number of youth joining militancy in the Kashmir valley. The security sources said the trend was particularly alarming in the April when as many as 16 youth have joined terror.