The CRPF Valley Quick Action Team is a tactical unit of the

Central Reserve Police Force The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is a central armed police force in India under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The CRPF assists states and Union Territories in maintaining law and order and internal security. It is composed of the Cent ...

, specialized in

counter-terrorism Counterterrorism (alternatively spelled: counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, relates to the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, businesses, and intelligence agencies use to co ...

in urban areas. It is active in the city of

Srinagar Srinagar (; ) is a city in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir in the disputed Kashmir region.The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the tertiary ...

Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory since 2019 * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered by India as a state from 1952 to 2019 * Jammu and Kashmir (prin ...

. It was raised specifically to counter and eliminate militants in the city of

. It conducts operations with the

Jammu and Kashmir Police The Jammu and Kashmir Police is the police force of Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. JKP was established in 1873 and has primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within Jammu and Kashmir. History The first ...

History

The Valley QAT was initially created in 2011 to escort and provide security for convoys and VIPs. In 2016, an attack on a BSF camp near the

Srinagar International Airport Srinagar International Airport , officially named as Sheikh Ul Alam International Airport, is an international airport serving Srinagar, the summer capital of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is owned by the Indian Air Force ...

ended with the team killing all the attackers. After the incident, the team was converted into a specialised urban combat operations force. Since then, the unit has conducted 42 missions leading to the deaths of 77 terrorists, including militant commanders, and has won numerous gallantry awards. In 2021, women were allowed to begin serving with the unit. As of April 2023, the unit has 108 men and 18 women that serve in the

Kashmir Valley The Kashmir Valley, also known as the Vale of Kashmir, is an intermontane valley in northern Jammu and Kashmir, a region in Indian-administered Kashmir.(a) (subscription required) Quote: "Kashmir, region of the northwestern Indian subcont ...

as a part of the team.

Personnel

The Valley QAT consists of CRPF troopers who volunteer to serve with the unit. Interested volunteers who are deemed to match the physical fitness requirements for serving in the unit have to undergo a stringent selection process and specialised training. Those who pass the training are inducted into the unit and stationed in the valley.

Training

Troopers have to be under 35 years of age in order to serve with the unit.https://crpf.gov.in/writereaddata/images/pdf/907092018.pdf Volunteers who are deemed to match the physical fitness requirements are first shortlisted and posted in a CRPF unit operating inside the Jammu and Kashmir to make themselves familiar with the region. They are then sent to the Counter Insurgency and Terrorism (CIAT) training centre in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh, where they are trained in

counterterrorism Counterterrorism (alternatively spelled: counter-terrorism), also known as anti-terrorism, relates to the practices, military tactics, techniques, and strategies that governments, law enforcement, businesses, and Intelligence agency, intelligence ...

and

counterinsurgency Counterinsurgency (COIN, or NATO spelling counter-insurgency) is "the totality of actions aimed at defeating irregular forces". The Oxford English Dictionary defines counterinsurgency as any "military or political action taken against the ac ...

for a period of 7 weeks. Additionally, the team is trained in high risk house intervention, raids, cordon and search missions, detection of

improvised explosive device An improvised explosive device (IED) is a bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional warfare, conventional military action. It may be constructed of conventional military explosives, such as an artillery shell, attached t ...

s, advanced weapons handling and close quarters combat in conditions similar to the urban terrain of the valley. By the end of their training, troopers are expected to effectively participate in urban counterterrorism operations, endure challenging physical conditions and have knowledge about the tactical aspects of counterterrorism operations. Those who pass the training process are posted with a quick action team unit in the Kashmir Valley.

Equipment

Weapons and protective gear

Vehicles

Gallantry Awards

Deputy Commandant Rahul Mathur was awarded the

Kirti Chakra The Kirti Chakra () is an Indian military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice away from the field of battle. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, including posthumous awards. It is the ...

for his bravery during anti-terrorism operations while serving with the QAT. Anirudh Pratap Singh was presented with the

Shaurya Chakra The Shaurya Chakra () is an Indian military decoration awarded for valour, courageous action or self-sacrifice while not engaged in direct action with the enemy. It may be awarded to civilians as well as military personnel, sometimes posthum ...

for his bravery during a counterterrorism operation conducted by the QAT. President

Droupadi Murmu Droupadi Murmu (born Durgi Biranchi Tudu; 20 June 1958) is an Indian politician who has been serving as the president of India since 2022. She won the 2022 Indian presidential election, 2022 presidential election as the Bharatiya Janata Party ...

presented Shaurya Chakra to Satendra Singh and

Amit Kumar Amit Kumar (born 3 July 1952) is an Indian playback singer, actor, music composer. Kumar launched his own music production company, named Kumar Brothers Music. He predominantly worked in Bollywood and regional film songs since the 1970s, ...

for their bravery during counterterrorism operations conducted on 28 June 2021 and 12 October 2020 by the QAT.

Naresh Kumar Naresh Kumar may refer to: * Naresh Kumar HN, Indian film director and a screenwriter who works in Kannada cinema * Naresh Kumar (tennis) (1928–2022), Indian tennis player * Naresh Kumar Shad (1927–1969), Urdu Ghazal and writer of Qat'aa and Ru ...

and Loukrakpam Ibomcha Singh have each received 7 and 4 gallantry medals, respectively, for their work while serving in the unit. The unit was awarded 15 gallantry medals during India's 2020

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event memorialization, commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or Sovereign state, statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or after the end of a milit ...

celebrations.

References

{{Authority control Units of the Indian Peace Keeping Force Central Armed Police Forces of India Specialist law enforcement agencies of India Police tactical units