Air-dropping of commandos marks beginning of new tactics
Air-dropping of commandos marks beginning of new tactics
PTI
Mumbai: The airdropping of NSG commandos on the rooftops of Nariman House, where militants are holed up, marks the beginning of a new chapter in tackling terror in India as it is for the first time such a manouvre has been undertaken in a densely populated urban centre.
The manouvre was undertaken after senior special forces commanders found their assault bogged down due to heavy and accurate firing by the holed up militants.
With this, the NSG commandos have now launched a two-pronged attack on militants from the roof as well as the ground.
The operation launched to keep safety of the hostages at the Jewish Centre in the financial capital of the nation uppermost was a daunting task as never before such an operation was carried anywhere in the country, especially in broad-day light.
Though most of the Indian Air Force’s Mi 17s and Mi 8 helicopters are so far ‘night blind´, the Government has recently cleared a modernisation programme to install night fighting capabilities in these helicopters.
Some of such upgradded helicopters have already entered service.
Though Indian security forces have in recent years been participating in joint exercises with foreign forces on combating urban terrorism where air dropping of special is a feature, so far this tactic had not been adopted in real terms.
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