NEW DELHI – Indian Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is expected to getat least 7,000 AK-47 rifles out of the 39,000 AK-47 rifles procured fromBulgaria for the security forces and state police, India Today has reported.
Top official in CRPF have confirmed that 39,000 AK- 47 rifles have beenprocured from Bulgaria for the reserve police and four other Central ArmedPolice Force along with 22 state police which will share the pool of theweapons.
Of the 7,000 AK-47 rifles, huge lot will be sent to Jammu and Kashmir wherethe force is still neck-deep fighting militancy while the rest of theweapons will be sent to fight Naxals and insurgency in the Northeast.
DG CRPF RR Bhatnagar said, “We will soon be getting the procurement of theAKs and we will be sending it to fill vacancies (of weapon) againstauthorised strength.” He, however, confirmed that majority of it will besent to Kashmir Valley.
With 342 militant related incidents occurring in trouble-torn Jammu andKashmir in 2017, at least 80 security personnel’s were killed while 40civilians lost their lives.
Sources said CRPF will also get a at least 20 sniper rifles. Furthermore,at least 27 light bullet proof vehicles will soon be made available for theforces.
While 35 more will be ordered. CRPF has been using vehicles with “Jugaad”bullet-proofing — a mechanism which consists of putting on a panel, ametal sheet on one side and wood on another side
. A concrete mix is poured into the hollow fixing the panel. The troopersthan put different shapes and sizes of the panel to the inside and outsideof the vehicles to make it bulletproof. But, though considered a quick fix,the weight slows down the vehicle considerably. And is no answer to theproper bullet proof vehicle.