India has decided to send its elite Police Commandoes to Iraq apparent to protect Indian Embassy and its diplomatic staff there. According to a report by New Delhi Television (NDTV) the approval for deployment has been given the Ministries of Home and External Affairs.
The NDTV report added that India’s Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has been tasked to provide its best combat personnel for the job.
The exact numbers of being sent to Iraq was not released by the government but NDTV claimed that the commandos will be securing the Indian embassy, its diplomatic staff and their families against terror threats.
The report claimed that the decision to send Indian forces to Iraq was due to the threat by ISIS but the claimed is surprising as ISIS has been defeated in Iraq and Baghdad has already strengthened its security in the capital.
The NDTV report also conceded that “there has be no targeted hit at the Indian mission in Baghdad” by the ISIS terrorists.
An Indian official was quoted by NDTV report as saying that “the proposed contingent would not only guard the embassy complex, but also provide a proximate security cover to senior diplomats and staffers every time they move out of the facility.”
According to report the first proposed contingent will be about 45-50 personnel strong and headed by a deputy commandant rank officer. The elite commando squad for jungle warfare CoBRA and who have been the “best performers” will be part of the proposed contingent an official was further quoted as saying.
India has also deployed its limited number of elements of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) apparent to “protect” its embassies in Afghanistan and Nepal.
India was also preparing to send troops to Maldives following a political crisis there but after a warning by China the suggestion could not be materialised.-PPA