After Pahalgam Attack, CRPF Fortifies High-Altitude Bases With Special Winter Fund

The Union home ministry has sanctioned more than Rs 4.54 crore for a special winter clothing and equipment fund for CRPF personnel deployed at high-altitude Temporary Operating Bases (TOBs) in Jammu and Kashmir, strengthening the force’s ability to sustain prolonged counter-terror operations in harsh terrain.

The allocation, approved in July, will help the Central Reserve Police Force procure essential gear for about 600 personnel stationed at these remote posts. The equipment includes gaiters, sleeping bags, snow boots, goggles, Himsuraksha extreme-cold-weather clothing developed by DRDO, insulating mats, rucksacks, gloves, tents, thermal insoles, blankets and rescue bags.

Officials said much of the equipment had already been supplied to troops since last year. The latest authorisation provides a dedicated procurement mechanism to ensure personnel remain adequately equipped for long-duration reconnaissance patrols, survival and combat missions. The equipment is expected to have a service life of about two years, with the allocation capable of being revised for future requirements.

The TOBs have been established at elevations above 6,000 feet, where CRPF commandos conduct search and assault operations against terrorists sheltering in remote 'dhoks' — traditional mud-and-stone huts. Security agencies have increasingly focused on these difficult mountain areas after finding that militants used snow-covered and rugged terrain to hide before or after attacks in the plains.

The CRPF began establishing such bases in July 2025, and the force has since erected 55 TOBs across Jammu and Kashmir, according to the latest data. Each post generally houses 15 to 25 armed personnel and provides basic facilities for rest and recuperation.

One CRPF TOB served as a base during Operation Mahadev, in which security forces eliminated three terrorists in July 2025 who were responsible for the Pahalgam attack.

The April 22, 2025 attack in Pahalgam's Baisaran valley killed 26 people, mostly tourists, after terrorists took shelter in higher reaches.

Officials said plans for CRPF high-altitude TOBs had been under consideration since 2022-23, but the bases became operational soon after the Pahalgam attack.