“Wilayah of Hind”

ISIS Attempting to Put Global Meaning on a Regional Conflict

By Ajit Maan

In mid-May 2019 ISIS announced the establishment of a province in India. The newly dubbed “Wilayah of Hind” (Indian Province) was announced by its Amaq News Agency. The same statement claimed the infliction of casualties on the Indian Army in Amshipora in the Shopian district of Kashmir.

There are at least five things that are clear:

1. There is no physical geographical “province” called “Wilayah of Hind.” The claim is not true and the so-called province is not real.
2. While the claim of provincial establishment may seem preposterous, it is not so in light of the larger strategy. An austere and hardline form of Islam has roots in India as far back as the mid 18^th century, often centered around the teachings of Shah Waliullah Dehlawi. ISIS is very likely attempting to inspire Indian Muslims with a very personal narrative regarding this iconic Shah.
3. The combined statement of the very real and confirmed strike in Kashmir along with the illusory claim to have established a province in India are a continuation of the ISIS strategy of attempting to establish global meaning of regional conflicts and also to reinvigorate their ultimate victory narrative recently suffering dramatic setbacks in the Levant.
4. The fact that ISIS claimed a province in India rather than Kashmir may indicate the interests of its financiers. The group’s report card is not looking good as a result of its territorial withdrawals and its financiers may be re-enthused by in-roads into India.
5. The group is recruiting in Kashmir for strikes in India.

ISIS leadership is looking for foot soldiers to activate the kinetic tactics that will serve the larger psychological strategy. And it knows that local Kashmiri populations vulnerable to exploitation will be motivated primarily by the potential for territorial defense. Tribal defense narratives are common and effective for rallying support for the group portrayed as “under attack”, true or not. The mythological province is designed for the ears of its financiers and for an audience that is recruitable primarily through appeal to defense of territory and more foundationally – the defense of the identity that is associated with the physical territory. By re-framing the regional conflict as a small instance of a global Salafi-jihadism, ISIS is trying to put a global brand on a regional conflict by attempting to swallow up the conflict and re-define it.

Notice that ISIS is not engaging in counter-narrative (it is not addressing this regional conflict in the terms of the conflict itself and then taking a side and defending it) rather it is re-defining the conflict as a small part of something larger. 

Kashmiris are worried about Kashmir. India wants to retain it. Pakistan wants to own it. Other players have their own vested interests. But ISIS is not interested in Kashmiri independence nor in Kashmir as anything more than recruitment grounds for a mythological re-mapping of the caliphate. They are seizing opportunistically on violence driven by factors mostly unrelated to jihadism.

That hard truth will not win recruits from within Kashmir.

In order to get recruits to strike India or even to get civilian support for ISIS operatives in Kashmir, ISIS will have to re-define the nature of the fight, changing it from a dispute over territorial rights to a fight between them and the rest of the world. Doing that will require an alteration in Kashmiri identities from Kashmiri nationalists to global jihadists. 

Up until this point Kashmiri separatists have either wanted independence or they want Pakistan to take Kashmir. They have not aspired to anything like a global empire. 

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Ajit Maan, Ph.D. is author of Counter-Terrorism: Narrative Strategies, Narrative Warfare, and co-author of Introduction to Narrative Warfare. She is Affiliate Faculty, Center for the Study of  Narrative and Conflict Resolution at George Mason University, member of the Brain Trust of the Weaponized Narrative Initiative at Arizona State University, and Founder of Narrative Strategies, LLC.

Operation Mandhol – India’s Para Commandos conducted their first mission in December 1971 when they attacked artillery positions of the Pakistan army. At the time the nations of India and Pakistan were at war over the future of Bangladesh. The Indian force consisted of a company with 6 officers and 120 men of 9 Para Commando. The commandos attacked six artillery positions and destroyed the guns.

Read more about Operation Mandhol:

“We Cherished Surgical Strikes, But Operation Mandhol – First Ever Raid by Para Commandos in 1971 Was Equally Impressive”, India Times, December 23, 2016.

“Special Forces of India”, Wikiwand.
www.wikiwand.com/en/Special_Forces_of_India

“The Parachute Regiment”, a history of the parachute regiment of India.

2016 – “The Year That Was”. A collection of articles that look back at 2016 in terms of national security, defense, Middle East, Afghanistan, India, Africa, books, war, conflict, and . . . of course . . . special operations.

Middle East in 2016

The Middle East . . .  Read more in “The Year that Was in the Middle East”, Lawfare, December 21, 2016. See also “Brookings expert’s takes on the biggest Middle East stores of 2016”, Brookings, December 28, 2016.

Syria. Russia (as well as Iran) embraced Syria and saved the Assad regime – one of its (Russia) best achievements was using its SOF and airpower to help capture Aleppo. The U.S. has been sidelined, a peace treaty negotiated in late December, and the Syrian Kurds are wondering when the U.S. will sell them out (as has happened many times before).

Iraq. ISOF has taken a leading role in the capture of Mosul (and previously other cities as well) but suffered 50% casualties in the 1st phase of the Mosul campaign. The tide has turned against the Islamic State as it suffers from territorial losses but the conflict with ISIS is far from over. The Kurds of Iraq are looking at a more autonomous future but it isn’t assured.

Turkey. A failed-coup, purging of many of its senior military officers, intervention in Syria (a defense against Kurdish gains), and a drift from the U.S. and NATO.

Yemen. If there was a conflict off the radar it is the one in Yemen. Activity of U.S. SOF in Yemen seems on again and off again. Our national interest, military and political objectives, and commitment seems to be either unknown or misunderstood by many. However, the al-Qaeda in the Arabian Penisula (AQAP) organization is considered extremely dangerous (in terms of striking the homeland) and U.S. drone strikes in Yemen against al-Qaida continue. To that end (it seems) the U.S. is supporting the Saudi coalition fighting the Houthi rebels (who are supported by Iran).

Jordan. Three Green Berets lost their lives in an armed attack by a gunmen in November. They were members of 5th Special Forces Group from Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Jordan is a close ally and one of the more stable Middle East countries.

South Asia in 2016

South Asia. Things don’t seem to be getting better in this part of the world. Afghanistan is still a mess and the India-Pakistan conflict may be heating up again.

Afghanistan – 2016 and Upcoming Challenges. For Afghanistan, 2016 was another year of good and bad. On a good note the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) have stayed loyal to the government, have not collapsed with the withdrawal of most of the Coalition forces from Afghanistan, and continue to improve in some functional areas. The government revenue – strangely – went up from taxes and other revenue sources. However, there is lots that has gone sour. The National Unity Government of Ghani and Abdullah can be counted as a failure and the Afghan security forces made no headway in degrading or defeating the Taliban. The Taliban control more territory since 2001. The Taliban mounted offensives in several areas of the country including Kunduz, Uruzgan, Farah, and Helmand province. Read “Challenges and Opportunities for Afghanistan in 2017”, The Diplomat, December 29, 2016.

Afghan Special Security Forces (ASSF). The one bright spot about the conflict in Afghanistan has been the performance of the special operations kandaks of the Ministry of Defense and the special police units of the Ministry of Interior like the Crisis Response Unit (CRU). The Afghan government is seeking U.S. funding to expand the Afghan Local Police (ALP) from 30,000 to 40,000 – if the Afghans can institute the needed ALP reforms this could happen (a positive thing). There is something to be said about having competent Train, Advise, and Assist (TAA) teams working on a daily basis with tactical units. Unfortunately, the U.S. special forces community was hit hard with SF casualties this year in Afghanistan. Killed were Green Berets from 1st, 3rd, 7th, 10th, and 19th Special Forces Group.

India – Year in Review. India’s SOF units were busy and the military forces (including SOF) saw steps toward modernization. Read “From surgical strike to 80 martyred personnel, 2016 a mixed year for Army”, Business Standard, December 29, 2016.

Pakistan. A continuing thorn in the side of India (Kashmir) and a direct threat to Afghanistan (support of Haqqani Network and Taliban) – Pakistan also suffers from terrorism. Some would say a ‘self-inflicted wound’. Read more in “Pakistan’s Counterterrorism Failures”, Gandhara Blog (Radio Free Europe), December 29, 2016.

Africa in 2016

AFRICOM’s Top Stories in 2016. The United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) has had a busy year. Read more in “Year in Review – AFRICOM’s tops stories in 2016”, United States Africa Command, December 28, 2016. Poaching has emerged as a big issue – this problem never seems to go away and the U.S. is taking (perhaps half-hearted) some efforts to assist in the anti-poaching effort. China seems intent on continuing its presence in Africa and its military base in Djibouti (next to the French and U.S. base) should assist it in this objective. But what has AFRICOM’s attention is the Islamic State, Boko Haram, and Al-Shabaab . . . and to a lesser extent . . . the LRA. AFRICOM has big plans for the next year – see “New in 2017: Bigger exercises, more engagements in Africa”, Army Times, December 29, 2016.

SOCAFRICA Spread Thin. AFRICOM’s special operations component that handles SOF missions and operations for the African continent has been extremely busy. With 54 countries on the continent there is a lot of area to cover. There is lots of terrorist activity, security training and cooperation, and JCETs to occupy SOCAFRICA.

Everyone is in the Fight. MARSOC FID teams and 3rd Special Forces Group teams have had a leading role in SOCAFRICA’s operations, exercises, JCETs, and training events. 10th Special Forces Group has a piece of North Africa (heads up the FLINTLOCK annual exercise, which is a far cry from the FLINTLOCKs of old that took place in Germany in the 60s and 70s). 19th Special Forces Group stays busy with JCETs and exercises in Africa as well. 20th Special Forces Group heads up the effort against the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) as they fill the ranks of SOCFWD-CA. NSW and AFSOC are also spread across the continent. Lots of former SOF have found some meaningful contract work in Somalia, Kenya, and other African locations working for SOCAFRICA, AFRICOM, or other governmental agencies.

Somalia. There is a U.S. SOF presence in Somalia – sort of a ‘shadow war’. In 2016 the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) made progress in its operations against al Shabaab. However, Ethiopia (a member of AMISOM) has been withdrawing its troops and the AMISOM mission may come to a close. Some former SOF are working in a contract basis there and the State Department may be stepping up its involvement soon.

Libya. The U.S. (and other European allies) have quietly assisted various factions in Libya to defeat the Islamic State enclave in Sirte with airpower (Navy fix-wing and Marine Cobras took part), ISR, and SOF on the ground. A big question is what happens next in Libya. Can a strong central government (Government of National Accord in Libya) emerge that can reconcile the various political entities and militias? In order to do that a strong security force has to be built that is professional, non-political, and competent. Certainly a classic Security Force Assistance (SFA) mission ideal for European nations like Britain and Italy (with a little help from U.S. SOF).

Nigeria & Lake Chad Basin. SOCAFRICA has been in the fight against Boko Haram – probably one of the most dangerous groups in the world at this time. U.S. SOF and conventional units as well have provided assistance to Niger, Cameroon, Nigeria, and Chad to develop a unified effort against this terrorist and insurgent group. Exercises like FLINTLOCK continue to improve the regional cooperation among various African military organizations in this part of Africa. Nigeria’s attempt to buy the A-29 Super Tucano counterinsurgency aircraft from the United States failed and it is now in talks with Russia and Pakistan for a viable close air support fixed wing aircraft. While AFRICOM says Boko Haram is weakened it is still a threat.

Uganda Region. SOCFWD-CA’s mission continues against the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). Although its ranks have been severely diminished it still has managed to survive. In October 2011 a 100-man U.S. Army Special Forces contingent deployed to help defeat Joseph Kony and his vicious band. A good information operations campaign (MISO folks can count this as a success) encouraging LRA fighters to defect (“come home”) has helped reduce the ranks of the LRA.

Other Spots. We won’t go into Ethiopia, Kenya and other locations.

Terrorism in 2016

The Big Two. The two biggest terrorist organizations currently posing a threat to U.S interests are the Islamic State and al-Qaeda. Both have done well in mastering the information domain or terrorist use of social media. In addition they continue to pose a long-term threat to the U.S. homeland as well as to our allies on the European continent. A big part of the U.S. strategy is to target the leaders of these groups and to deny them sanctuary where they can plan, prepare, and launch attacks against U.S. interests.

A Resurgent al-Qaeda. The Islamic State is getting a lot of press. Al-Qaeda, on the other hand, seems content with staying off the radar screen. Publicity draws counter terrorism resources. The terrorist organization was severely hurt during the post-9/11 decade and, in part, replaced by the Islamic State in many areas of the world. But al-Qaeda is making a come-back. Read more in “A more dangerous long-term threat: Al-Aaida grows as ISIS retreats”, The Guardian, December 29, 2016. See also Bruce Hoffman’s (Georgetown University) article “Al Qaeda: Quietly and Patiently Rebuilding”, The Cipher Brief, December 30, 2016.

Islamic State in Decline? ISIS has seen its territory in Iraq reduced significantly. It has taken some losses in Syria as well (thanks to the Syrian Kurds). Libyan government and militia factions have chased ISIS out of Sirte, Libya (wonder where they went to?), and the ISIS footholds in Afghanistan have been reduced (by U.S. drones, U.S. SOF, ANASF, and the Taliban). But ISIS is adaptive and will still be around for a long time. While progress has been made some critics are hesitant to declare victory. See Rita Katz’s article “2016 in Review: Barack Obama’s War on the Islamic State has Failed”, INSITE Blog on Terrorism & Extremism, December 30, 2016.

How to Fight Terrorism in 2017? Matthew Olsen, former director of the National Counterterrorism Center, was recently (Dec 30) interviewed by The Cipher Brief on how to confront terrorism over the next year.

Defense Topics in 2016

DoD’s Top 10 Issues in 2016. The U.S. Department of Defense published a report that highlighted the Defense Department’s top ten issues for 2016. They included delivering ISIL a lasting defeat, building the force of the future, rebalancing to the Asia-Pacific region, standing with our European allies, thinking outside the five-sided box, Resolute Support for Afghan security forces, investing for the future, recognizing our best, a new generation of defense leaders, and taking care of our people. See 2016 Year in Review, Department of Defense, December 22, 2016.

Gender Integration. Putting women into combat training and combat units and the integration of females into SOF has had mixed results. While three women graduated from the demanding Ranger School in 2015 – it appears that none have achieved the coveted Green Beret or SEAL Trident. The Marines gender integration plan seems uncertain as well.

Navy. According to one observer NAVSPECWARCOM continues to wield a disproportionate amount of influence within the SOF community – especially at USSOCOM. On a positive note the Sailors no longer have to wear those ‘blueberry’ uniforms that so effectively camouflage those who venture overboard. Former SEALs continue their leading role in the entertainment business with more movies, TV documentaries, books, and speaking engagements as a result of their past successful exploits like the Bin Ladin operation.

2016 is Another Big Year for SOF. The nature of conflict over the past several years and most likely into the foreseeable future has seen an increased use of special operations forces in the ‘Gray Zone’. Using SOF and drones helped keep the Obama administration from putting ‘boots on the ground’ in many of the overseas conflicts. Read more in SOF, Obama, and the Light Footprint. Of course, the U.S. isn’t the only nation to use special operations forces effectively. Our SOF allies can be found fighting alongside U.S. SOF in Libya, Iraq, Afghanistan, and a few other places. And, of course, Russia has its SOF units working hard in Crimea, Ukraine, and Syria as a component of their strategy of political warfare.

NATO: Aghanistan, Russia, and Immigration. NATO reaffirmed its support for Afghanistan with positive outcomes from the Brussels Conference (fall) and Warsaw Summit (summer). The Resolute Support mission in Afghanistan will continue until 2020. In addition, NATO has been occupied with the potential threat of Russia to the Ukraine, Poland, and Baltic States. Finland, Norway, and Sweden are feeling the pressure. NATO is responding with an increase of NATO exercises in Eastern Europe and positioning of NATO units forward into Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. Conventional forces stationed forward may help but NATO needs to increase its ability to stem the use of hybrid warfare by Russia. Immigration is a side issue with implications for maritime assets of NATO.

Intelligence in 2016

Biggest Spy Stories of the Year. Intelnews.org brings us the “Year in review: The 10 biggest spy-related stories of 2016”, December 29, 2016. Russia’s military intelligence organization is making a comeback – see “The GRU: Putin’s No-Longer-So-Secret Weapon”, The Daily Beast, 31 Dec 2016.

Other Topics in 2016

“War on the Rocks” and 13 Defining Developments of 2016. #1 – Taliban comeback, #2 – North Korea and nuclear development, #3 – chaos in Venezuela, #4 – Britain exit from EU, #5 – COP21 agreement, #6 – Boko Haram in Nigeria and humanitarian crisis, #7 – Philippines shift away from U.S. and towards China, #8 – Yemen’s forgotten war, #9 – Trump victory over Clinton, #10 – TPP failure, #11 – chance of peace in Colombia, #12 – South Korean politics, #13 – advantage to Assad regime. Read more on these topics in an end of year article by Ali Wyne – a fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Center on International Security in “Thirteen Developments That Defined 2016”, War on the Rocks, December 30, 2016.

Best Books of 2016. Foreign Affairs “The Best Books of 2016” lists their best academic and non-fiction books of the past year, posted December 9, 2016.

FRONTLINE. A documentary channel of Public Broadcasting System (PBS) has listed its ten most popular documentaries of 2016. A few of them are worth mentioning – #2 – “Saudi Arabia Uncovered”, #3 – “The Secret History of ISIS”, #7 – “Netanyahu at War”, and #9 – “Confronting ISIS”.

Did I Slight Anyone? Probably. SOF is busy all over the world. One only has to take a glance at the 2016 Fact Book published by the United States Special Operations Command to realize the extent of SOF’s commitment world wide. Not mentioned in this article are the contributions by Special Forces ODAs (from 1st, 7th, 19th and 20th SFGA), CA, PSYOP (or perhaps MISO is a more modern term), Rangers, Army SOF aviation, MARSOC, NSW, and AFSOC to SOCSOUTH and SOCPAC. Equally important ‘indirect SOF missions’ that achieve strategic national objectives in the western hemisphere and Pacific region.

2017? Should be another interesting year. U.S. Special Operations Forces will continue to be engaged around the world in conflicts and training events. A new administration is taking charge and it will soon develop its approach to the use of hybrid warfare by Russia (someones playing chess while we play checkers), the persistent terrorist threat, and expansion of Chinese influence in the Pacific.

SOF News Update 20161226 – SOFCCC – the good and the bad, USSOCOM and WMD, MARSOC honored by museum, India SOF lagging behind other nations, NAVSCIATTS, Navy SEAL leaks meaning of Christmas, video of Norwegian SOF, special opns weathermen in HOA, and more.

SOFCCC – Good and Bad. Many of our Special Forces detachment commanders come from the conventional forces. Their first dose of special operational techniques and unconventional warfare comes from the Special Forces Qualification Course (SFQC). Before 2012 the SF officers used to attend the Maneuver Captain’s Career Course (MCCC) at Fort Benning, Georgia – a 22-week long course for Infantry and Armor officers. SF officers now attend the Special Operations Forces Captain’s Career Course (SOFCCC). This is a good thing. However, one detachment commander in 1st Special Forces Group thinks not. Read his article entitled “Lost Oportunities with a new SOF Career Course”, Small Wars Journal, December 23, 2016.

Norwegian SOF Video. Watch a 6 min long video (with music) depicting special operations forces of Norway in action and training. Norwegian Special Forces “Prepare for Tomorrow’s Threats, Today”, posted on Daily Motion.com.

Weapons of Mass Destruction and U.S. SOF. The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) will be taking a leading role in coordinating the U.S. military’s effort to counter weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The Washington Post, December 23, 2016.

India SOF Lagging Behind? According to one news report India’s special operations forces are lacking critical training and equipment. Daily Maiel, December 24, 2016.

DAGRE & SOLRS Demonstration. A party of high-ranking officers recently visited Hurlburt Field, Florida to observe presentations and demonstrations of the 1st Special Operations Logistics Readiness Squadron and the Deployed Aircraft Ground Response Element (DAGRE). Read more in a news report by NWF Daily News, December 24, 2016.

NAVSCIATTS Class Graduates in Dec 2016. The Naval Special Warfare Group 4’s Naval Small Craft Instruction and Technical Training School located in Mississippi recently graduated 29 students from 11 countries. Read more in “NAVSCIATTS Graduates Class 17-1”, DVIDS, December 2, 2016.

Navy SEAL Reveals Secrets of Christmas. In yet another unsurprising turn of events we witness one more U.S. Navy SEAL attempt to mine the public’s thirst for more hero stories – at the risk of disclosing secrets. Read more in “Navy SEAL leaks true meaning of Christmas in new tell-all carol”, DuffelBlog, December 25, 2016.

SOF Weathermen? Hmmmm. It appears that the Air Force has special operations weathermen. Read more in “Weather Balloon Launched in the Horn of Africa”, DVIDS, December 8, 2016.

Air Commandos Conduct MOUT Training. A group of Air Commandos recently completed training in Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) at Camp Shelby, MS. Read more in a report by DVIDS, Nov 2016.

Air Force Special Tactics Memorial. A memorial to special tactics airmen has been established at Hurlburt Field, Florida. “The monument serves as recognition of the battle-hardened operators who defend our nation’s freedoms against tyranny and oppression”, DVIDS, October 20, 2016.

MARSOC Honored by Museum. The National Museum of the Marine Corps has honored Marine special operators with a display. Read more in Military Times, December 23, 2016.

SOF News Update for 20161016 – The ‘woobie’ gets an upgrade, small drones used by special operations forces, new Jungle Boots, India’s maritime SOF and CT unit, fattest service in U.S. military, book review of Rogue Heroes, spinal injury center run by Green Beret in Tampa, FL celebrates first year in business, and more.

Small Drones used by SOF. The Switchblade has been in use by U.S. special operations forces for a few years. It provides its users with a real-time view of the battlefield from above like other drones. However, it is also used to fly directly into a target and detonate a small charge. Read more in “Forget the Predator – Military Drones are Getting Smaller”, Air & Space Magazine, October 4, 2016.

Woobie Upgrade. The best friend of the infantryman in inclement weather is the ‘woobie’ – or more officially known as the ‘poncho liner’. The Marines and Army are coming out with an upgrade – to include a zipper and better insulation. Read more in “The beloved ‘woobie’ gets a much-needed update’, We Are The Mighty, September 30, 2016.

TF 44. New reports say that the Italian Special Forces are doing a “Train, Advise, and Assist” mission in Iraq.

Story on the Air Force “Horsemen” of 9/11. In the fall of 2001 U.S. Army Green Berets entered northern Afghanistan – infiltrating by helicopter. Many of the SF teams linked up with units of the Afghan Northern Alliance. Some 30+ members of these teams were quickly put on horseback to move from one location to another or to participate in offensive maneuvers against the Taliban. Attached to the SF teams were Air Force combat controllers. Read more in a news story by the U.S. Air Force, October 14, 2016.

“Golden Division” Prepares for Mosul Assault. News reports are stating that all three brigades of the ISOF division are staged close to the second largest city in Iraq in an attempt to dislodge the Islamic State. As always, the Iraqi SOF will lead the offensive.

Book Review – Rogue Heroes. Ben Macintrye has wrote a great book about the founding of the British Special Air Service (SAS). In the book is a sprinkling of the unorthodox characters that were the original members of the SAS during World War II. The book also covers some of the secretive years just after World War II where covert missions were conducted around the world by the British special operatives. Read the review – “Review: ‘Rogue Heroes,’ the Birth of Britain’s Elite Special Forces”, by Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times, October 3, 2016.

Green Beret & Wife Run Spinal Injury Center. A paralyzed veteran and his wife are providing medical care for those with spinal cord injuries in the Tampa, Florida area. (Tampa Bay Times, Oct 3, 2016).

New Jungle Boots. The Army has a quick need for Jungle Boots to field to two Brigade Combat Teams (BCTs) over the next two years. A Request for Information (RFI) has been issued to determine the industry’s capability to deliver lots of boots. Read more in “PdM-SCIE Issues RFI for US Army Jungle Combat Boot”, Soldier Systems, October 5, 2016.

Fattest Service? That would be the U.S. Army. Read more in “And the fattest U.S. military service is . . . “, Military Times, October 9, 2016.

MARCOS – The Indian Navy’s special forces unit excels at counter-terrorism operations. MARCOS does amphibious warfare, close quarter combat, counter-terrorism, direct action, special reconnaissance, and unconventional warfare. Read more in a news report by News Nation (India), October 4, 2016.

The Garud Commando Force of the Indian Air Force was formed in 2004 and has over 1,000 personnel assigned. The name “Garud” is derived from Garuda – the name of a bird-like creature of Hindu Mythology. The commando unit of the Indian Air Force is similar to the Para commandos of the Indian Army and the MARCOS of the Indian Navy; but with a mission profile complementary to the Indian Air Force. The varied missions of the Indian Air Force commandos include direct action, airfield seizure, special reconnaissance, counter terrorism, and combat search and rescue. The recruits of the unit undergo intensive training in a selection and qualification course that is rigorous. Once qualified (fully trained) they are assigned to one of the commando units. The missions will take these Air Force commandos to a variety of locations to include assignments outside of the country.

Read more:

“Garud Command Force: Indian Air Force’s ‘Special Forces’ Unit”, News Nation (India), October 8, 2016.

“Garud Commando Force”, Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garud_Commando_Force

“Special Forces – Garuds for All Reasons”, SP’S Aviation.

SOF News Update for 20161009 – India’s COIN force and Paras, SOF operators and keeping secrets secret, U.S. SOF in Kunduz City fight, 281st Assault Helicopter Company remembered, SOF and PTSD, recognition for the OSS, JIDA (which used to be JIEDDO) is now called JIDO and is part of DTRA, CF and SOF interoperability, and more.

CF: SOF Screwed Up Ops. A book by Conrad Crane – Cassandra in Oz: Counterinsurgency and Future War – suggests that U.S. SOF screwed up things for the conventional ‘battlespace owners’. Hmmmm. Haven’t read the book so I can’t really comment. Read “Conrad Crane’s insider story on COIN doctrine: Spec Ops screwed up a lot of ops”, Foreign Policy, October 3, 2016.

37 Rashtriya Rifles. An Indian military member of the Rashtriya Rifles is being held by Pakistan after having been captured just over the border in Pakistan. Learn more about the 37 Rashtriya Rifles – a force created in 1990 to fight terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir in a news report by News Nation (India), October 2, 2016.

India’s Paras. The Para Special Forces of India are specially trained for carrying out operations deep into enemy territory and engaging militants. Read more in “India turns to Para Special Forces for covert missions”, The Economic Times, October 1, 2016.

SOF: Trouble Keeping Secrets Secret. United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has been fighting to keep its secrets secret but much of the problem stems from the SOF operators. Many point to the Navy SEALs as a big part of the problem; pointing out that “BUD/S” now stands for “Book Under Development / Soon”. Read more in “Special Operations: Secrets To Die From”, Strategy Page, September 27, 2016.

Two U.S. Servicemen Wounded in Afghanistan. Resolute Support HQs reported that two military members were injured when their vehicle was hit with an improvised explosive device on Saturday, October 8, 2016. The incident took place in Nangarhar province; the location where SSG Adam Thomas of the 10th Special Forces Group was recently killed by an IED during a dismounted patrol.

SOF and PTSD. An Army Special Forces general says that SOF personnel need to seek treatment or counseling if they feel they are experiencing PTSD. BG Don Bolduc, the commander of SOCAfrica, is featured in a news report “A General’s New Mission: Leading a Charge Against PTSD”, The New York Times, October 7, 2016.

SOF in Kunduz City Fight. One year ago, in September 2015, the Taliban took Afghanistan’s 5th largest city – Kunduz City, a provincial capital. It took Afghan elite forces (advised by U.S. Special Forces and assisted by U.S. airstrikes) two weeks to re-capture the city from the Taliban. On Monday, October 3rd, the Taliban once again attacked Kunduz City from four directions. U.S. SOF are once again in the fight. Read more in “US Special operations ‘enablers’ in Kunduz as Taliban reportedly enter city”, Stars & Stripes, October 3, 2016.

Original Navy SEALs Have a Reunion. Members of the original Navy SEAL Team One gathered recently for a reunion on Martha’s Vineyard just off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. They were all members of the first Navy SEAL training course conducted in the early 1960s. Read more in “Original Navy SEALs Celebrate a Reunion, and Old Ties that Bond”, Vineyard Gazette, September 26, 2016.

SF Soldiers Talk About Partnerships in Iraq and Columbia. Representatives from the 5th and 7th Special Forces Group were in attendance at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) annual meeting. While there they pointed to the lasting benefits from a long-term engagement with partner SOF units in Iraq and Colombia. Read more in a news report by Drew Brooks in The Fayetteville Observer, October 3, 2016.

281st Assault Helicopter Company (Vietnam-era) Honored. A memorial stone will be placed in Meadows Field Memorial Plaza outside the U.S. Army Special Operations Command at Fort Bragg, NC that honors a unknown helicopter unit that worked with the 5th Special  Forces Group and Project Delta in Vietnam. Read more in a news report by Aviation Pros, October 3, 2016.

From JIEDDO to JIDA to JIDO under DTRA. The Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization was renamed to the Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Agency. It is now called the Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Organization and comes under the control of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency. Whew. Lots of acronyms there! Read more in “Improvised Threats Organization Becomes Part of Defense Threat Reduction Agency”, U.S. DoD, October 3, 2016.

OSS: Recognition Hung Up in Congress. Many of the veterans of the World War II Office of Strategic Services (OSS) – the predecessor of the CIA and U.S. Army’s Special Forces – are in their 90s and few of these OSS veterans are still alive. A bill to recognize the OSS and its members that would award the OSS – called the “OSS Congressional Gold Medal Act” – is hung up in Congress. Read more in “Legislation to honor heroic World War II-era spies hits regulatory snag on Capitol Hill”, The Washington Times, October 3, 2016.

SOF News Update for August 16, 2016: India’s special forces, WWII female spy passes away, Taliban gaining ground in northern Afghanistan, and more.

Info on India’s Special Forces. India has a number of elite forces – one of which is their Special Forces unit of the Indian Army’s Parachute Regiment. Read more in “The call of the Winged Dagger: The glorious history of India’s Special Forces”, Scroll.in, August 15, 2016.

USSOCOM Breaks Solitcitation. USSOCOM has cancelled its solitcitation for the Suppressor Upper Receiver Group. Soldier Systems, August 15, 2016.

Taliban Gaining Ground in Northern Afghanistan. The Taliban are making inroads into the north; especially in the area where the Baghlan-Balkh highway runs through. Read more in “Taliban in the North: Gaining ground along the Ring Road in Baghlan”, Afghanistan Analysts Network, August 15, 2016.

Famous WWII Female Spy Passes Away. “A pioneering female spy who was featured in an NBC News story about women in the CIA has passed away at age 93. Doris Bohrer served in Italy during World War II as an agent for the OSS, the spy agency that later morphed into the CIA.” Read more in a news story by NBC News, August 13, 2016.

Kurds Advancing on Mosul. The Kurd are pressing the Islamic State in the vicinity of Mosul. Read more in “Iraqi Kurds advance near Islamic State-held city”, Journal News, Aug 14, 2016.

India has many special operations force units. The most well-known include the Paras of the Indian Army, the Marcos of the Indian Navy, and the Garuds of the Indian Air Force. But there are other lesser known ‘special operations’ units as well. These include the Black Cats, COBRA, Ghataks, Special Frontier Force, and Force One.

The Paras were formed up during the 1965 Indo-Pak War. The Paras would later fight in the 1971 Indo-Pak War and take part in subsequent conflicts and operations in the 1980s and 1990s. The Maras are the maritime commandos of India. The Garuds were formed in 2004 and have the primary task of protecting Indian Air Force installations from terror attacks. Read more in “No ordinary soldiers: India’s 8 Special Forces which compare with the best in the world“, The News Minute, August 13, 2016.

Photo credit: Maps from CIA, photo of parachutists from Pacific Air Forces Public Affairs Office, Airman 1st Class Stephen G. Eigel, Feb 20, 2015. Members with Indian Army’s 2nd Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) and National Security Guard jump from a Pacific Air Forces C-17  Globemaster III for a parachuting demonstration at Air Force Station Yelahanka, Bengaluru, India on February 20, 2015.