From Rural Warfare to Urban Raids: How RR and SOG Complement Each Other in Kashmir

New Delhi, India - Jammu and Kashmir remains a battlefield where India’s security forces have waged an unrelenting counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism campaign for decades. The conflict, shaped by Pakistan-backed terrorism and local insurgency, necessitates a multi-layered security approach. Two of the most formidable forces in this war are the Indian Army’s Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and the Jammu and Kashmir Police’s Special Operations Group (SOG)—each operating with distinct roles yet complementing one another in India’s security framework.

While RR functions as a military force specializing in area domination and counter-infiltration, SOG operates as a rapid-reaction urban CT unit, conducting high-speed precision strikes against terrorist cells. Together, they form an iron-clad security grid that ensures terrorist networks in Kashmir never get the breathing space to regroup.

Rashtriya Rifles: The Military’s Counter-Insurgency Shield

Formed in 1990, Rashtriya Rifles was created as a dedicated counter-insurgency force, distinct from regular army battalions that rotate out of Kashmir. Instead, RR units are permanently stationed in the region, ensuring uninterrupted operational pressure on militant groups.

Structurally, RR operates under the Northern Command of the Indian Army and is divided into five Counter-Insurgency Forces (CIFs)—Romeo, Delta, Victor, Kilo, and Uniform—each covering different sectors of Jammu and Kashmir. This sector-based deployment model allows for constant monitoring and ensures no territory becomes a militant stronghold.

Tactical Doctrine: Area Domination and Counter-Infiltration

Rashtriya Rifles employs a mix of military aggression, deep intelligence penetration, and counter-infiltration tactics to prevent terrorists from establishing bases in Kashmir. One key tactics is Cordon and Search Operations (CASO). These are large-scale search-and-destroy missions in rural and semi-urban areas to eliminate terrorist hideouts.

RR units also employ Kill-Box and Ambush Warfare. Under this, the RR sets up kill zones along infiltration routes, ensuring militants are neutralized before they can establish operational bases.

Since the RR works alongside the Border Security Force (BSF), units are deployed along the Line of Control (LoC) to block terrorist infiltration. This includes the use of electronic surveillance, UAV reconnaissance, and ground patrols.

Unlike conventional military forces, RR integrates civic action programs like medical camps, education assistance, and local outreach to reduce the recruitment pool for militants.

Case Study: Operation All Out (2017-2018)

Rashtriya Rifles played a leading role in Operation All Out, a year-long campaign that saw over 225 terrorists eliminated, including top commanders of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hizbul Mujahideen, and Jaish-e-Mohammed.

This operation crippled the militant leadership and marked one of the most successful counter-insurgency offensives in Kashmir. The RR remains India’s first line of defence against armed insurgency, ensuring terrorist groups never gain territorial control.

Special Operations Group (SOG): The Precision Spear of Kashmir’s Counter-Terrorism

While the Rashtriya Rifles dominates rural counter-insurgency, urban counter-terrorism requires speed, intelligence, and surgical precision—this is where the Special Operations Group (SOG) comes in.

Created in 1994 under the Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP), SOG operates at the district level, giving it a localized command structure that ensures quick mobilization and immediate response. Unlike RR’s long-term engagements, SOG thrives on high-speed intelligence-driven missions, often working closely with RR, CRPF, and Military Intelligence.

Tactical Doctrine: Speed, Surprise, and Targeted Eliminations

SOG specializes in surgical strikes on high-value targets, ensuring terrorist groups never feel safe in urban strongholds. The SOG acts on real-time intel to conduct night raids and targeted strikes before militants can escape. In contrast to RR’s open-terrain combat, SOG excels in room-to-room clearing, urban hostage rescue, and pinpoint elimination of terrorists in hideouts.

SOG has been responsible for eliminating top terrorist commanders, including Burhan Wani (2016), Zakir Musa (2019), and Riyaz Naikoo (2020)—crippling militant networks. By leveraging local informants and interrogation techniques, SOG dismantles OGW (Over Ground Worker) networks, cutting off the logistical support that sustains terrorism.

Case Study: The Burhan Wani Elimination (2016)

Burhan Wani, Hizbul Mujahideen’s poster boy, was eliminated in a swift SOG-led operation in July 2016. His death triggered massive protests, but it also marked a psychological victory, proving that no militant leader was beyond the reach of Indian security forces.

SOG’s ability to quickly eliminate terrorist commanders has kept insurgent groups in a constant state of instability.

The Shield and the Spear

In Kashmir’s counter-insurgency war, Rashtriya Rifles is the shield, ensuring militant groups can never hold ground, while SOG is the spear, striking swiftly at their leadership.

With asymmetric warfare evolving, the next phase of counter-terrorism will demand greater integration of UAVs, AI-based surveillance, and cyber-intelligence. But one thing remains unchanged—India’s counter-insurgency forces will continue their relentless pursuit, ensuring terrorism in Kashmir remains on the back foot.