Canids have helped troops in sensitive areas. (Representative image)
Shopian:
Dogs can be great stress relievers. And they prove exactly that for the soldiers of 44 Rashtriya Rifles who found solace in the company of two-year-old Rosh, a Labrador whose ever-bubbling energy provides instant relief after a hard day of patrolling.
Rosh is one of six members of the seemingly submissive canine unit who transforms into a powerful challenger to the enemy, aiding their fellow soldiers from the 44th unit of Rashtriya Rifles, an anti-militant force made up of regular units from the army.
Rosh, Tapi and Clyde have been deployed with the unit that watches over sensitive areas in southern Kashmir, covering Lassipura in Pulwama, Imam Saheb and the town of Shopian.
Playing with aplomb, the canines helped troops locate improvised explosive devices, drive out violent mobs, or follow fleeing terrorists.
Colonel A K Singh, who leads the 44 RR, believes that the canine squad has played an important role in many anti-militant operations and has avoided many incidents that could have led to causalities of the security forces.
Ruffling Rosh, Col Singh said he was “one of our celebrities” because he managed to catch a wanted terrorist from Hizbul Mujahideen last year, about 1.5 km from the site of an encounter.
Recalling the incident, Col Singh said the encounter took place in the village of Dragar in Shopian overnight and the unit could neither determine the number of terrorists nor assess their exact location.
“After the first light, a search team identified two terrorists and a trail of blood. We immediately deployed Rosh, who has high standards of training and handling, and the search began after he detected the scent.
“Moving through a rugged and dense orchard, Rosh continued to effectively follow the terrorist even after the trail of blood became almost invisible … and suddenly he jumped onto a thick pile of twigs where the third terrorist was hiding. “, recalls Col Singh.
Once the operation was completed, the third terrorist was identified as Abid Manzoor Magray aka Sujju Magray, who was the commander of the banned terrorist group Hizbul Mujahideen and wanted in many cases, he said.
Rosh also received a recommendation card from the Chief of the Northern Army on this year’s Army Day.
Some army personnel pat their canines while others throw a ball or offer cookies for a great job done by them in an anti-militant operation – detecting explosives or alerting troops to suspicious movements .
Soldiers devote considerable free time to their canine “colleagues” who keep watch while personnel sleep in their accommodation or use roads that could be mined by terrorists.
Army officials took care of these soldiers with great enthusiasm. Not to mention the photo of Lt Gen KJS Dhillon, currently Director General of the Defense Intelligence Agency, who returned a salute with “Meneka” outside the Amarnath Cave Sanctuary after sniffing the path to the venue. saint for possible explosives.
Many of these dogs have been awarded medals of bravery for their role in counterterrorism operations.
Mansi, a four-year-old Labrador and a member of the Army Tracking Dog Unit, was the first dog to be selected for a posthumous war honor.
Mansi received the “Mention of Despatches” certificate. His name appears in the Indian Gazette for making the supreme sacrifice for the nation.
She, along with her manager, had a successful season in 2015 with three wins to their name. They were implicated in the murder of a terrorist on Kaisuri Ridge in the Tangdhar region, followed by the slaughter of two militants on July 21, 2015.
