Gujarat police get 'Dogs of War' to fight terror, control mobs

AHMEDABAD: Use of assault rifles or grenades may not be enough. Gujarat police needs something more effective, specially to safeguard the lives of the commandos in their fight against terror. Security measures in Gujarat are being strengthened after the Pulwama terror attack in J&K.
In a step further in this direction, two Belgium Malinois puppies have recently been brought into the force to aid the cops combat terror and control mobs.
These 'war dogs' belong to the same breed that tracked Osama Bin Laden to his hideout in Pakistan and they also guard the White House in Washington DC.
They are believed to have played a pioneering role in security operations in Israel.
This breed of dogs, known for aggressive instincts, has even been used for terror operations in Jammu and Kashmir. They are known for chasing down suspects and taking them down.
The Malinois breed resembles German Shepherds, but are smaller and more compact.
"Gujarat DGP Shivanand Jha wanted a dog squad which could control mobs and even be used in anti- terror operations. We got a committee formed. According to the committee's' recommendation we have bought two Belgium Malinois puppies from a kennel in Secunderabad. We have plans to buy 34 more such dogs," said a senior police official.
The canines will be trained to pin down a rioter until forces take over, another senior police official said.
The two puppies are undergoing training at National Training Centre for Dogs at BSF Academy at Tekanpur in Mahdya Pradesh and according to officials this would be the first of its kind training for the K-9 (police dog) squad members.
Later, the Belgium Malinois puppies will be sent to National Training Centre in Delhi before being deployed in the Ahmedabad dog squad.
The move to introduce the Belgium Malinois in the K-9 squad is likely to have a connection with chief minister Vijay Rupani's visit to Israel last year.
During the visit, the home department officials met their Israeli counterparts and were impressed by the way Belgium Malinois played a pivotal role in the dog squad to control mobs, assault and even in anti-terror operations.