Army, Air Force on ‘very high alert’ after Article 370 is scrapped

New Delhi, Aug 05: The Indian Army and the Air Force have been put on very high alert after the Government decided to scrap Article 370.

The Centre is anticipating trouble in the Valley and hence all forces have been operationalised and asked to stay on a state of very high alert.

The Centre would also send an additional 8,000 troops to Jammu and Kashmir. The move comes in the wake of the Centre announcing that it would scrap Article 370 in J&K.

The Centre also said that Jammu and Kashmir would be a Union Territory with legislature, while Ladakh too be a UT, but without legislature.

The additional forces are being moved based on the assessment done by security forces. The decision taken is expected to lead to hostilities in the Valley.

On Friday, the Home Ministry had said that the deployment of paramilitary forces in Jammu and Kashmir was based on the security situation there and requirements of rotation, and that such things are not discussed in the public domain.

Sources in the ministry had said 100 companies (10,000 personnel) of central forces were ordered for deployment in the state about a week ago and they are in the process of reaching their destinations.

"Based on the assessment of the internal security situation, training requirements, the need for paramilitary troops to be rotated for rest and recuperation, induction and de-induction of central forces is a continuous and dynamic process," a source said.

It has never been the practice to discuss in the public domain the details of deployment and movement of paramilitary forces deployed in a particular theatre, they said.

The home ministry's response came after reports on Thursday suggested that 28,000 additional troops are in the process of deployment in Jammu and Kashmir, which is currently under President's Rule.