Nestled in the misty, dense hills of Vairengte, Mizoram, on the border with Assam, lies one of the Indian Army’s most renowned and respected institutions: the Counter-Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School (CIJWS). Widely regarded as a global benchmark for training in unconventional warfare, CIJWS specializes in counter-insurgency (CI), guerrilla tactics, and jungle survival skills. Its iconic motto — “Fight the Guerrilla Like a Guerrilla” — perfectly encapsulates its core philosophy: to defeat insurgents, soldiers must adopt the same stealth, adaptability, terrain mastery, and surprise that their adversaries employ.
Origins Rooted in Real Conflict
The school’s origins trace back to the turbulent 1960s, when Indian forces faced heavy losses from hit-and-run guerrilla tactics during the Mizo insurgency in India’s Northeast. The need for specialized training in asymmetric warfare became evident. Conceived under the vision of then-Eastern Command chief (and future Field Marshal) Sam Manekshaw, CIJWS began as the Jungle Training School in 1967, initially located in Meghalaya. It evolved rapidly: renamed the Eastern Command Counter Insurgency Training School in 1968, and on May 1, 1970, upgraded to a Category A establishment of the Indian Army, relocated to its current site in Vairengte under its present name, with Brigadier Mathew Thomas as its first Commandant.
During the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, the school temporarily shifted focus to train Mukti Bahini guerrillas, contributing significantly to operations like Operation Jackpot. After the war, CIJWS returned to its primary mission: preparing Indian troops for counter-insurgency duties in insurgency-prone regions, particularly the Northeast.
The Grueling Reality of Training
CIJWS’s training is legendary for its intensity and realism, conducted in the school’s ideal natural environment of thick forests, rugged terrain, and unpredictable weather. The philosophy goes beyond conventional drills — trainees are taught to think, move, and fight like insurgents while leveraging superior discipline, intelligence, and technology.
Key elements of the curriculum include:
- Jungle patrolling, survival, and navigation in hostile environments (including foraging and long-duration endurance missions)
- Ambush and counter-ambush tactics
- Reflexive firing and close-quarter battle techniques
- Heliborne operations, IED detection and handling
- Counter-terrorism, tracking, and psychological aspects of low-intensity conflict
Recent documentary series like Vairengte Warriors (produced by BharatShakti.in) have offered rare glimpses into this world. Episodes highlight reflex firing drills — designed to build instinctive muscle memory for split-second reactions in ambushes — slithering operations, live-ammunition exercises, drone reconnaissance, and advanced surveillance integration. Instructors draw directly from real operational experiences, blending timeless jungle craft with modern tools to forge soldiers ready for unpredictable, asymmetric threats.
As of early 2026, the school is led by Major General Kulvir Singh, who assumed command in September 2025. Under his leadership, CIJWS continues to emphasize adaptability, humility in the face of nature, and a psychological edge in counter-insurgency campaigns.
A Global Mecca for Unconventional Warfare
Since opening its doors to foreign trainees in 2001 (starting with U.S. Army officers), CIJWS has trained personnel from dozens of countries, including the United States (notably elite commandos post-9/11), France, the United Kingdom, Israel, Russia, Singapore, Indonesia, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Egypt, and Kazakhstan. Joint exercises such as Balance Iroquois (with U.S. Special Forces) and Garuda Shakti (with Indonesian forces) underscore its international stature.
The school’s success has even inspired the creation of similar facilities, like the Kaziranga Special Jungle Warfare Training School in Assam.
A landmark development came in 2024 when, for the first time, six women officers joined the Low Intensity Conflict Operations (LICO) course alongside international participants, marking a significant step toward gender inclusion in this elite domain.
A Cornerstone of India’s Security Strategy
Today, CIJWS remains indispensable to India’s internal security efforts, producing “Vairengte Warriors” who excel in sub-conventional warfare and contribute to stability in challenging regions. More than a training institution, it is a crucible where skill, resilience, guile, and determination converge — proving that to win against guerrillas, one must master their own game.
In an era of evolving threats, CIJWS stands as a testament to the Indian Army’s foresight, adaptability, and commitment to excellence in unconventional warfare.
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