Mizoram tour : Vairengte Jungle Warfare School turns to anti-terror
Source: The Sangai Express / Laishram Shamungou

Imphal, November 23 2010: In the aftermath of the 26/11 terror attack at Mumbai, counter-insurgency and jungle warfare school located at Vairengte, Mizoram has started providing counter-terrorism training to both Indian and foreign troops.

This was observed during a recent tour by 13 journalists of the State to Mizoram.

The acclaimed school being run under the aegis of the Ministry of Defence was found imparting training to troops on various contingency and exigency operations including counter-terrorism operations in addition to its normal schedule for counter-insurgency operations and jungle warfare.

Soldiers undergoing training at Vairengte Jungle warfare school

Speaking to the visiting media team, Colonel General Staff Raj Sinha informed that the school started training Indian troops on counter terrorism in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attack of 2008 .

Soon, a number of foreign troops were also enrolled in the school for similar training on counter terrorism.

Col Raj Sinha also presented a slide show narrating in graphic details about the training regimen the troops have to go at the school.

The slide show depicted an imaginary situation where the troops were tackling a situation like the terrorist strike at Manila in August this year in which the terrorists were holding people hostage inside a bus.

So far, the school has imparted training on counter insurgency to a large number of army personnel/officers belonging to 40/50 different countries.

Since its establishment in 1970, the school has been giving training to not only army personnel but also para-military and police personnel of the country.

Counting 14,000 foreign troops trained at the school, the school has so far given training to 1,50,000 troops.

Foreign countries whose troops underwent training at the school included the USA, Myanmar, Somalia, Nigeria, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, Col Sinha said.

Another army officer posted at the school informed that Myanmarese troops are given regular training on counter insurgency operations at the school.

Human rights is another permanent feature in the curriculum of the school.

The media team from Manipur were also allowed to witness a live training session on fire practices.

The army officer further explained about research and information centre opened at the school where the troops are taught about the various ethnic groups, insurgency movements of the NE region as well as various issues happening around the world.