NEW DELHI: About 300 ‘black cat’ commandos of the elite counter-terror force, NSG, deployed an assortment of most sophisticated assault weapons and “buster” ammunition tools to neutralise the terrorists who had sneaked into the Air Force base in the border town of Pathankot.
In one of the longest running counter-terror operations in the country, the National Security Guard (NSG) suffered minor and major injuries to its 21 personnel, besides the death of its bomb squad Commanding Officer Lt Col E K Niranjan, since the first detachment of about 160 commandos flew out from the Palam military airbase on January 1 on an IAF transport aircraft.
Sources privy to the operation said two more similar special strike units, with a strength of about 80 ‘black cats’ each, were airlifted to Pathankot from Delhi on January 2 and 3. They joined their ‘buddies’ thick in operations at the sprawling airbase, house to the fighter Squadrons of the IAF.
They said it was a “New Year call” to the 24×7 ‘on alert’ counter-terrorist unit based at its garrison in Manesar sometime in the afternoon on January 1 and the commandos of the Special Action Group (SAG) were airborne by 1500 hours.
The call to air-dash to Pathankot was made by the Union Home Ministry to the NSG headquarters, which quickly asked its Force Commander in Manesar to prepare the commando team for assault.
The first team were led by NSG Inspector General (Operations) Major General Dushyant Singh even as Director General R C Tayal camped in Pathankot from Sunday. (AGENCIES)
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