In a significant security move, the Centre has directed the deployment of four additional companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to Leh, officials confirmed on Tuesday. The reinforcement comes amid heightened monitoring of the law-and-order situation in the strategically sensitive Union Territory of Ladakh.

The order, issued on Monday (August 18), instructed four companies to move out of Jammu and Kashmir and reach Leh at the earliest. Officials explained that Ladakh’s unique demographic and geographic challenges influenced the decision.

What’s behind additional CRPF deployment in Leh?

“The deployment has been made on an urgent basis. The companies will remain at the disposal of the local police and will assist them in maintaining law and order,” a senior government official told News18.

The Union Territory has a small but widely scattered population, spread across remote and often difficult-to-access pockets. “Such terrain requires a more robust deployment of forces, as the response time in case of a flare-up can be longer compared to more urbanised regions,” a senior official said.

A senior-level review soon?

Security sources added that a top-ranking CRPF officer is likely to visit Leh in the coming days to assess the ground situation. The visit is expected to focus on coordination with the Ladakh Police and the civil administration, and to evaluate whether additional reinforcements will be required.

The additional CRPF deployment in Leh comes as Home Ministry approved Jammu & Kashmir Police’s request for additional troop deployment in Jammu and Kashmir, months after the Pahalgam massacre on April 22.

News18 reported, citing a senior official, that 99 Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) companies will remain stationed in the union territory until September. This includes 85 companies of CRPF and 14 companies of BSF.

Why Leh holds a strategic importance?

Leh holds strategic significance not only because it is Ladakh’s administrative centre but also due to its proximity to sensitive international borders with China and Pakistan. While the deployment is officially linked to maintaining law and order within the Union Territory, the reinforcement underlines the Centre’s cautious approach in a region where even small disturbances can have larger security implications.