Click to play videoNew Delhi: The devastating suicide attack on the Indian embassy in Kabul has prompted the government to order a drastic increase in security cover.
Over the next two weeks a large contingent of Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel will be sent to Afghanistan to protect the embassy and the four consulates.
In an official briefing in the Foriegn Ministry on Tuesday, Afghan Government spokesman once again laid the blame on Pakistan’s ISI for staging terror attacks on Afghhanistan.
In is in this context that in the next few weeks, the strength of the ITBP in Afghanistan is likely to see a dramatic rise. Their precise numbers are not clear but there's little doubt that their current purely defensive role will see a major transformation.
The Indian Embassy in Kabul could have more than 100 ITBP personnel deployed on security duties and about that same number could be stationed at each of the four consulates in Jalalabad, Mazar-i-Sharif, Herat and Kandahar.
ITBP personnel would also be tasked to secure locations where Indians are present in substantial numbers, which would include road and infrastructure projects.
“The ITBP's primary role will be securing the mission where they are deployed. This would also require sanitisation of the area immediately around the mission. They would be required to survey the area, identify points of ingress and gather intelligence,” says Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan, Jayant Prasad.
He adds, “The role would include escorting mission personnel on official visits outside, which means the route of the convoy will have to be surveyed and sanitized. In the event of an attack on the mission, the ITBP will defend and is also equipped to counter attack.”
The ITBP is largely officered by the Indian army. The personnel undergo the same training and conditioning as army infantry units.
The new ground rules imply that there could be more casualties as Taliban attacks are gathering strength.
Experts suggest that given the strategic stakes in Afghanistan, India should bite the bullet and send in the army. Although that would satisfy President Karzai and NATO but would pull India into the Afghan quagmire from which no country has ever emerged unscathed.
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