New Delhi
Over 7,000 personnel of India’s top three paramilitary forces have contracted Covid-19 so far, military officials have confirmed.
Thousands of paramilitary troops normally responsible for border security have been redeployed at Covid-19 treatment and quarantine centers across India, where infections are now over 1.33 million.
The worst-hit among India’s paramilitary forces is the Border Security Force (BSF), which guards the borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh, with 3,023 confirmed virus cases as of Friday evening.
A spokesperson told Anadolu Agency that at least 10 BSF personnel have died of Covid-19 so far, while the number of active cases within the force stands at 1,370.
Similarly, the disease has claimed the lives of at least 15 personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force, India’s second-largest paramilitary force that works under the Home Ministry and deals with counterinsurgency.
More than 1,500 CRPF personnel are currently infected, according to a spokesperson. “As of July 21, we have had 2,916 cases in our force, of which 1,520 are still active. We have lost 15 of our personnel, while at least 1,381 have recovered,” the official told Anadolu Agency.
Meanwhile, the Indian affiliate of the militant Islamic State group, Wilayat Hind, has a significant presence in the Indian states of Kerala and Karnataka, said a report by the United Nations. According to the report, the militant group has around 180-200 members in the two Indian states.
The UN 26th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning ISIS, al Qaeda and associated individuals and entities, states that al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent operates under the Taliban umbrella from Afghanistam’s Nimruz, Helmand and Kandahar provinces.
It further stated that the leader of AQIS Osama Mahmood, who succeeded the late Asim Umar, is reportedly planning retaliation operations in the region to avenge the death of its former leader.
The group reportedly has between 150 and 200 members from Bangladesh, India, Myanmar and Pakistan.
In May last year, the Islamic State (also known as ISIS, ISIL or Daesh) terror group claimed to have established a new “province” in India, the first of its kind announcement that came after clashes between militants and security forces in Kashmir.—Agencies
