MINIMISING THREATS FROM IEDS – DEFENCE AND SECURITY
News: Minimizing
the threat from IEDs
What's in the news?
● On
April 26, an IED killed 10 security personnel of the District Reserve Guard in
Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada area.
● The
jawans were out on an anti-Maoist mission when they were ambushed.
Key takeaways:
● Previously
in the month of April, an IED (improvised explosive device) killed 10 security
personnel of the District Reserve Guard in Chattisgarh’s Dantewada area.
● These
incidents highlight the lethal and indiscriminate nature of IEDs, which pose a
serious threat to the safety and security of security forces operating in
conflict zones.
IED (Improvised Explosive Device):
● IEDs
are homemade explosive devices made
from commonly available materials such as fertilizer, diesel fuel, and metal
scraps.
● They
are typically used as a form of
guerrilla warfare by non-state actors such as terrorists, insurgents, and
other militant groups.
How to minimize threats from IEDs:
1. Safe transportation:
● The
safest mode of travel is on foot in a region where left-wing extremism is
active.
● Traveling
by vehicle must be avoided. Over 60% of
casualties/fatalities in Maoist territories are because of vehicles ambushed in
landmines/IEDs.
● Routine
operations like area domination, cordon-and-search, long-range patrolling,
ambush-cum-patrolling and so forth should only be undertaken on foot.
● Vehicle
travel should be undertaken rarely only for urgent operational reasons, after
exercising due diligence.
2. Travelling route:
● The
onward and return journeys should never be by the same route, nor undertaken
during the day time.
3. Travelling time:
● A
little-known fact is that Maoists, to avoid the risk of civilian casualties,
neither trigger IEDs during night time, nor use anti-personnel/pressure-induced
mines.
● The
exact timing of triggering IEDs is also an issue during night time.
● Hence,
night travel by vehicle is relatively
safe for security forces.
4. Camouflage:
● Stealth,
camouflage and concealment are integral to anti-terrorist operations.
● Olive
green vehicles of the Army and light green vehicles of the CRPF are easily
identified from a distance, giving adequate time and opportunity to terrorists
to organize an IED ambush.
● To
avoid easy identification, security forces are expected to take civilian or State Road Transport Corporation buses.
5. Detection methods:
● Detection
methods such as metal detectors,
ground-penetrating radar, and trained sniffer dogs must be implemented.
● It
can be implemented to locate and clear landmines and IEDs.
● Road
opening parties play an important role in the detection of ambushes.
● Aerial surveillance
through drones and road opening parties equipped
with UGVs (Unmanned Ground Vehicles), can detect the presence of terrorists to
carry out operations.
● It
also picks tell-tale signs of a likely ambush like piles of rock and mud bags,
dugout portions on the sides of the roads, and the absence of people or
movement of other vehicles.
6. Diligent and scientific investigation:
● Establishment
of linkages through meticulous collection and marshalling of evidence, framing
of chargesheets, followed by speedy trials and conviction, serve as a strong
deterrent to terrorism.
7. Providing required infrastructure:
● Their
vehicles should also be equipped with V-shaped
and armour-plated hull, blast-resistant technology and proper sandbagging
to minimize damage in the event of an explosion.
8. Mapping of areas:
● Areas
known or suspected to contain landmines or IEDs can be mapped and contingency
plans prepared for them.
● This
includes establishing safe routes, setting up checkpoints, and creating
evacuation plans as part of both preventive and mitigation measures.
WAY FORWARD:
1. Regulating explosives:
● Legislative measures
are required for the mandatory addition of odoriferous chemicals and/or
biosensors to explosives used in industry and mining for their easy detection
during transport.
2. Collaboration with international organizations:
● These
include collaboration with international organizations, NGOs, and other
countries to share information, resources, and best practices for landmine and
IED prevention, detection, and clearance.
● Other
countries have taken several counter-IED measures, such as the U.S. setting up
the Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat
Organization and spending about $20 billion on counter-IED measures since
2005.
3. Overarching agency:
● It
is needed under the Ministry of Home
Affairs to coordinate the efforts of both the GoI and the states, and to
provide legislative, technological, and procedural support to law enforcement
agencies.
4. Confidence building measures:
● Relationships
have to be cultivated and goodwill generated among the local population on a
long-term basis. It should be beyond transactional levels.
● This
requires patience, commitment, empathy and integrity on the part of security
forces.