India ready to face any Taliban threat: Army Chief

AGRA: Indian security forces are ready to face any challenge from Taliban, Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor said, adding that asymmetric warfare where non-state actors post threats was a "matter of concern".

Kapoor said Special Forces were being modernised and equipped to deal with asymmetric and fourth generation warfare where non-state actors fight against conventional state machinery and employ innovative ways for carrying out strikes such as Mumbai terror attack.

"There is a whole set of new equipment which we have thought of for the Para (Special Forces) modernisation, especially in view of the fact that asymmetric and fourth generation warfare are a matter for concern," Gen Kapoor told PTI on the sidelines of the Parachute Regiment reunion here.

Commenting on the spurt in activities of Taliban in Pakistan and Indian armed forces' preparedness to deal with the threat, he said, "I would like to assure the country that we are ready to face any challenge."

On the training standards and the equipment of Indian Special Forces, Army Training Command Chief and senior Para officer Lt Gen A S Lamba said, "I think we are among the best and we are making endeavours to improve our equipment and are very well geared up to put our best foot forward."

Terming the Indian Special Forces as one of the best, Colonel of the Parachute Regiment Lt Gen P C Katoch said the Army was making sure that the Special Forces were keeping pace with their requirements.

"Keeping the future in mind, we are planning on what is to be procured for short and long terms," Katoch said.

The seven units of the Special Forces are deployed in counter-insurgency areas in North-East and Jammu and Kashmir.

After the 26/11 attacks, these units were also given the task of training Infantry units for close-quarter combat and urban terrorism.