Posted on 01/24/2003 11:29:48 AM PST by swarthyguy
SOPORE, India (Reuters) - T.K. Raju punches the air with his fist after a dog sniffs out a powerful bomb planted by rebels in Indian Kashmir.
Raju, a dog handler with Indian security forces, gets a pat on the back from his boss and Rekha, the Labrador, grabs a biscuit after a three-hour search for bombs on a freezing morning in the Himalayan region.
"It is worth the trouble when you detect bombs and mines planted by militants and save human lives," Raju, 25, told Reuters.
But if there are moments of exhilaration, there are also times of extreme pain in the search for bombs in the Jammu and Kashmir state -- torn by a bloody separatist rebellion for the past 13 years.
Last month, Bhawana, a black Labrador in the army's dog squad, and her handler, Shiv Lal, were killed in a land mine explosion on a highway in south Kashmir.
Bhawana and Shiv Lal are among dozens of sniffer dogs and their handlers working along with security forces who have died in Kashmir since separatists launched an uprising against New Delhi's rule in 1989.
Hundreds of Labradors and German Shepherds, trained by the army in the northern Indian city of Meerut, work alongside the security forces trying to quell the separatist rebellion in which around 38,000 people have been killed.
Officials declined to give specific details of the number of dogs employed in counter-insurgency operations.
"Where humans have failed, dogs have excelled in anti-insurgency operations. In Kashmir, every operation is led by a dog and a handler," said Colonel N.S. Kanwar, commandant of the army's main veterinary hospital in Srinagar.
"It is the dog and his handler who face militants first. One cannot imagine how many lives these dogs save," a dog trainer said.
SNIFFING OUT BOMBS
German Shepherds are also used to guard key installations and ammunition depots in Kashmir, while Labradors are used for sniffing out explosives, land mines, tracking militants and avalanche rescue operations.
"The specially trained Infantry Patrol Dogs have helped tremendously in detecting infiltration across the Line of Control and have successfully alerted the troops of militant ambushes," Kanwar said.
The 460-mile Line of Control or cease-fire line divides disputed Kashmir between nuclear rivals India and Pakistan, who have fought two of their three wars over the northern territory. India controls 45 percent of the region, Pakistan just over a third and China the remainder.
New Delhi accuses Islamabad of arming and sending Muslim militants across the border into the Kashmir region. Pakistan denies the charge, saying it only provides moral and diplomatic support to a Kashmiri struggle for self-determination.
"Rain or snow, cloudy or sunny, these gentle animals sniff hidden bombs and improvised explosive devices and make the main roads of Kashmir safe for civil and forces," said Ramesh Thakural, head of a Road Opening Party.
The road-opening parties are part of the security forces and form a vital part of everyday life in the freezing region.
Traffic begins moving on the main roads only after these groups, led by sniffer dogs and equipped with mine detectors, send an "all clear message" on their radio sets.
Officials say 115 people were killed and 1,059 wounded in explosions in Kashmir last year. Kanwar said the figure would be much higher but for the dog squad.
"Each year dogs successfully detect dozens of bombs," Kanwar said.
"We are short of dogs... In a terrain like Kashmir it is impossible to operate without these dogs," he said, as a senior security officer called in asking for more dogs.
Each dog joins the army's dog unit at the age of 2 and retires after 10 years.
"It is for a bit of love from his handler and not for power, prestige or religion that these best friends of human beings die saving scores of lives," said Bakhshi Singh, a dog handler
Several countries use dogs as partners in military apps, but the public rarely aknowledges or gives credit to such units, which save lives and put their own on the line every day...
Hopefully, articles like this will make more people appreciate how well dog and man work together as a tactically trained team.
Certainly!
I AM A WORKING DOG
My eyes are your eyes,
to watch you and
to protect you and yours,
My ears are your ears,
to hear and detect evil mind in the dark,
My nose is your nose,
to scent the invader of your domain,
And so you may live,
My life is also yours.
Cicero
Great site dedicated to working dogs:
fetch some tissues first!
Dogs ARE amazing, loyal and brave friends.
Seriously, I usually like people that really likes dogs. They have heart.
IMO, the rabid Islamaniacs hate them because they're good judges of character...
AKKK...I try not to think of Koreans, Chinese and Vietnamese eating them....I'll lose meals I haven't even eaten yet!
My little buddy turned 12 years old today!! She got a few extra biscuits and hugs!
g
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