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Counter-Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School

The Counter-Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School (CIJWS) is a training establishment of the Indian Army that specialises in counter-insurgency operations and jungle warfare. Located at Vairengte in the Indian state of Mizoram, the school is widely regarded as one of the premier institutions of its kind in the world and trains personnel from the Indian armed forces as well as from foreign militaries.

Type Military training school
Specialisation Counter-insurgency, jungle warfare
Parent organisation Indian Army
Location Vairengte, Mizoram, India
Country India

Overview

The school imparts instruction in small-team tactics, jungle craft, ambush and counter-ambush drills, navigation in dense terrain, survival, and counter-insurgency doctrine. It draws on the Indian Army's extensive operational experience in counter-insurgency campaigns in the North-East and in Jammu and Kashmir.

Background

The institution traces its origin to the Indian Army's need for a dedicated establishment to train troops for unconventional warfare in jungle environments, particularly in the wake of insurgencies in north-eastern India. It was set up in Vairengte, in the Mizo Hills, an area whose terrain and climate provide a realistic training environment for jungle operations.

Training

The school conducts a range of courses for officers and other ranks of the Indian Army, paramilitary forces, and state police organisations engaged in counter-insurgency duties. Courses cover both theoretical instruction in counter-insurgency doctrine and practical field exercises in jungle conditions.

CIJWS has also hosted military personnel from a number of friendly foreign countries for training, and it has been used as a venue for joint training exercises with foreign armies, contributing to India's defence diplomacy.

Significance

The school is recognised internationally as a centre of expertise in jungle warfare and low-intensity conflict. Its training has shaped the operational approach of Indian Army units deployed in counter-insurgency theatres, and its methods are studied by other militaries facing similar operational environments.

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