Srinagar: The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) today (Nov 5) said it will take over counter- insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir from the Border Security Force (BSF) from the middle of this month.

"The process has already been set in motion. Initially, we will be relieving the BSF from downtown areas of the city beginning November 15", inspector general of CRPF, V B Singh told reporters in Srinagar.

Singh said the troops for replacing the BSF have been sent into the Valley from other parts of the country and there would be no change in the existing deployment of the force.

"Five additional battalions of CRPF have come in to replace an equal number of BSF battalions. But there will be no change in the existing deployment of CRPF in the state", he said.

"We will take over all the positions held by BSF initially. Later we will decide whether the deployment is sufficient or not", Singh said.

Asked if the force was fully geared up to meet the challenges of combating militancy in the state, Singh said "This is nothing new to us. We have already been involved in the operations".

He said several companies of CRPF were part of the Special Task Force of security forces, which are fighting militancy in the state.

PTI