Special operations group commandos to boost Punjab’s ability to counter terror: Amarinder Singh

BAHADURGARH (PATIALA): Boosting the state’s preparedness in dealing with non-traditional terrorist threats under the transformed scenario, Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday lauded the newly-trained special operations group (SOG) commandos who would be inducted in the state police by end of next month. The chief minister hailed the commandos as a critical engine that would strengthen the state’s counter-terror capabilities.
Amarinder said the SOG commandos trained at Bahadurgarh facility of the state police would make the earlier SWAT irrelevant.Interacting with the commandos, he said the use of non-conventional means of warfare by terrorists and militants had necessitated the transformation of the state’s counter-terror apparatus. He saw various drills performed by them during which they showcased their capabilities and preparedness. He said the state needed a specialized force that could neutralize the intensity and gravity of terror strikes like the one carried out at Dinangar police station and on the Pathankot Air Force station.
“Though the frequency of militant-related incidents have come down considerably post-conventional militancy period, but a new and grave threat in the form of unconventional militancy still exists that the state needed to protect itself from, for which the SOG commands have been trained,” he said.
Punjab DGP Suresh Arora, who accompanied the CM, said the need for a specialized force was felt after the Dinanagar attack, which was finally translated into reality by the chief minister with his decision to set up an SOG in August, last year.