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| | The uninhabited islands of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago have been identified as India's soft underbelly in the Bay of Bengal — vulnerable to occupation by subversive elements and the weak link in the country's maritime
security. The security establishment here has zeroed in on a cluster of islands for deploying troops to secure them from looming terror threats. But that cannot happen until the force levels of the the Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC), India's only tri-service formation, are buttressed. Of the 576 islands that the Andaman an Nicobar constitute, a mere 36 are inhabited. Brigadier S Ahmad Ali, commander, 108 Mountain Brigade, which represents the army component in the ANC, told Hindustan Times that the threats were not exaggerated and the guarding uninhabited islands posed a formidable challenge. He said, "Augmentation of defence resources is paramount if we have to make our security impregnable. We have identified some islands that are particularly vulnerable. That cluster will be our core focus once the brigade gets more resources." What Ali meant by "more resources" was sanctioning of an additional battalion along with combat support elements to raise the brigade's strength to three units. Defence Minister AK Antony, who arrived in Port Blair on Saturday on a two-day visit, admitted that security of the unoccupied islands was a cause for concern but assured that the requirements projected by the services would be supported by the government. "The islands are of extreme strategic significance to India. There's always a possibility of subversive elements occupying these islands," Antony said, after witnessing the amphibious capabilities of the armed forces during a mock military drill code-named Exercise Blazing Khukri. Barely 150 km off Indonesia's Aceh coast, the ANC showcased its prowess in executing amphibious assault to "secure" an island "under the siege" of terrorists from the Andaman Liberation Front. In a simulated battle environment, the soldiers barely took half hour to evict 150 heavily armed insurgents from the island. Things, of course, would have been a lot different if the siege were for real, said a senior officer. Email author: rahul.singh@hindustantimes.com |
