Bajaur Scouts

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Bajaur Scouts
Founded1866
CountryBritish Raj Red Ensign.svg  British India 1866-1947
Flag of Pakistan.svg  Pakistan 1947-Present
Branch Civil Armed Forces
TypeParamilitary
Role Border patrol
Counterterrorism
Counterinsurgency
Special operations
Size 7 Wings
Part of Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (North)
Regimental centre Khar, Bajaur
Commanders
CommandantColonel Waqas Shoaib Jan

The Bajaur Scouts is a paramilitary regiment of the Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (North) of Pakistan, recruited locally in Bajaur District and officered by regular Pakistan Army officers. [1] [2] The Scouts were previously the Bajaur Levies, and served in the Bajaur, Swat, and Dir tribal areas. [3] The force was formed in April 1961 from several units of the Khyber Rifles and Chitral Scouts. In the early 21st century, the Scouts have been involved in anti-drugs operations. In 2011-2012, the unit received a number of drug testing kits to assist in their work against drug smuggling. [4]

Contents

History

Battle of Bajaur (Operation Sherdil 2008)

Bajaur Scouts along with other troops of from Frontier Corps launched Operation Sherdil on 7 August 2008 with a support from Infantry Brigade of Pakistan army under the command of its then Commandant Colonel Nauman Saeed. The operation was primarily launched to end the political movement of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan in Bajaur. Bajaur area was administered by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan from 2002 to 2007, and it remained Al-Qaeda's central command and control for carrying out activities in Northeast Afghanistan and Kunar province after the US the invastion of Afghanistan. Resultantly, Pakistan launched Operation Sherdil to clear militants from Bajaur in 2008. The Operation Sherdil witnessed the valour of Bajaur Scouts and its Commandant Nauman Saeed during this operation when Scouts under the command of Colonel Nauman rescued the convoy of Inspector-General Frontier Corps Major-General Tariq Khan who was ambushed on 9 September 2009 at Nissarabad. Col. Nauman went back to the ambush site with a tank and a Quick Response Force to extricate the crew of a vehicle that was disabled by the militants fire. His tank received multiple hits by RPG-7s and his operator suffered a bullet injury. However, they extracted the stranded vehicle along with the soldiers. He was awarded by the government for his contribution to the operation. The operation resulted in decisive victory for Pakistan in which around 1800 militans were killed and area was cleaned-off from the militants.

Role

The Bajaur Scouts serves as the first line of defence as force is responsible for the patrolling of Bajaur portion of Afghanistan-Pakistan border that cuts through Bajaur district on Pakistani side whereas Kunar province on Afghanistan side. Additionally, the Bajaur Scouts provides security to the key installations located across the Bajaur such as tunnels, dams, and military installations. The force plays a pivotal role in the defence of various projects of CPEC. Since the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, the Bajaur Scouts has played a frontline role against terrorism. The force also assists local Law Enforcement Agencies in the maintenance of law and order across the region.

During times of extraordinary law and order crisis, the government occasionally grants power to the Chitral Scouts to arrest and detain a criminals.

Units

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bajaur District</span> District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Bajaur District, formerly Bajaur Agency, is a district in the Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan. Prior to 2018, Bajaur Agency was the northernmost component of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), a semi-autonomous region along the Afghanistan–Pakistan border. In May 2018, FATA was merged into the larger Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province (KPK) in an attempt to bring stability to the region, redesignating Bajaur Agency to Bajaur District.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of Bajaur</span> Pakistani military operation

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frontier Corps Balochistan (North)</span> Pakistani paramilitary force

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The Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (South) (Urdu: فرنٹیئر کور خیبر پختونخواہ (جنوبی), reporting name: FCKP(S)), is a federal paramilitary force in Pakistan, operating in the southern part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, to overseeing the country's borders with Afghanistan and assisting with maintaining law and order. It is one of four Frontier Corps with the others being: FC Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (North) stationed in the north of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and FC Balochistan (North) and FC Balochistan (South) stationed in Balochistan province.

The Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (North) (Urdu: فرنٹیئر کور خیبر پختونخواہ (شمالی), reporting name: FCKP(N)), is a federal paramilitary force in Pakistan, operating in the northern part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, overseeing the country's borders with Afghanistan and assisting with maintaining law and order. It is one of four Frontier Corps with the others being: FC Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (South) stationed in the south of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and FC Balochistan (North) and FC Balochistan (South) stationed in Balochistan province.

The Mahsud Scouts is a paramilitary regiment forming part of the Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (North) in Pakistan. The name alludes to the Mahsud tribe of South Waziristan. The regiment had a 2020/21 budget of Rs. 1.89 billion and is composed of a headquarters wing with four battalion-sized manoeuvre wings.

The Mohmand Rifles is a paramilitary regiment forming part of the Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (North) in Pakistan. The name alludes to the Mohmand tribe and the Mohmand Agency. The regiment had a 2020/21 budget of Rs. 2.1 billion and is composed of a headquarters wing with seven battalion-sized manoeuvre wings.

The Orakzai Scouts is a paramilitary regiment forming part of the Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (North) in Pakistan. The name alludes to the Orakzai tribe and the Orakzai Agency. The regiment had a 2020/21 budget of Rs. 1.83 billion and is composed of a headquarters wing with six battalion-sized manoeuvre wings and a special operations group.

References

  1. ↑ Encyclopaedia of Afghanistan P. Bajpai, S. Ram - 2002 - 2159 pages
  2. ↑ "The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 27 January 2021.
  3. ↑ Military Historical Society (Great Britain) (25 August 2008). The Bulletin, Volume 47, Issue 185 - Volume 48, Issue 192. the University of Virginia: The Society., 1996.
  4. ↑ "Equipping Pakistan's Law Enforcement For Interdiction" (PDF). United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. 25 February 2011.
  5. ↑ "The Gazette of Pakistan. Part III. Office of the Inspector General Frontier Corps Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: 20th September, 2019" (PDF). Government of Pakistan. 5 February 2020. p. 116. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  6. ↑ "The Gazette of Pakistan. Part III" (PDF). Government of Pakistan. 4 February 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  7. 1 2 "The Gazette of Pakistan. Part III" (PDF). Government of Pakistan. 20 September 2019. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
  8. ↑ "The Gazette of Pakistan. Part III" (PDF). Government of Pakistan. 30 September 2020. p. 797. Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  9. ↑ "The Gazette of Pakistan. Part III. Office of the Inspector General Frontier Corps Balochistan" (PDF). Government of Pakistan. 4 May 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  10. ↑ "The Gazette of Pakistan. Part II" (PDF). Government of Pakistan. 11 December 2019. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
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