K9 Unit In India To Expand

Encouraged by the success of its canine force in the war against insurgency, the Assam Rifles unit here has decided to augment the strength of its dog squad.

The canine unit, which was set up in 1996, currently has about 60 dogs. The squad is responsible for the entire northeastern region. The number would now go up to over 200.

The Assam Rifles Dog Unit has rendered invaluable service during the counter-insurgency operations carried out in the mid-nineties.

Sniffers, the Silent Warriors — as the dog unit of the Assam Rifles is popularly called — has made the task of the security forces much easier. “The dogs have done a tremendous job in the anti-insurgency operations in the region. They nearly have a 100 per cent success rate,” said Lt Col Paramveer Singh Siddhu, commanding officer of the canine unit.

Over and over again, canine units have proven to save lives.