NSG has trained Sri Lankan PM's security personnel in close protection: Force chief

GURUGRAM: India's federal counter-terrorist force NSG has trained a select group of personnel who protect the Sri Lankan Prime Minister, the chief of the commando force said on Friday.

In his address on the occasion of the force's 36th Raising Day, NSG director general (additional charge) S S Deswal said the force has acquired the most modern weapons and equipments to distinguish itself as a "world class zero-error force".

"The NSG close protection force has trained 21 personnel of Sri Lanka's PM security division in close protection skills.

The honourable Prime Minister of Sri Lanka wrote to the honourable Indian PM and praised the training," Deswal said.

He, however, did not mention the time period when these personnel were trained by the NSG.

The National Security Guard, also known as the 'black cat' commandos, was raised as a federal contingency force in 1984 to undertake specialist counter-terrorist, counter-hijack and hostage rescue operations.

It has a special component called the CPF (close protection force) that provides security to high-risk VIPs under the top category Z+ cover.

It has about 13 protectees under its charge at present, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah.

Deswal said the CPF, during the COVID-19 outbreak, provided security to its VIPs in about 4,000 events held in various states.

The NSG DG said the force had enhanced its mobility, training, weaponry and equipment by "many times" as terrorism is a complex and global problem in this century and the tactics of terrorists were changing and terror groups were possessing modern weapons.

  "We are determined to adopt modern technology and specialisation," the DG said during the event at the force's garrison here that was chaired by Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy.

He said the force has been training special combat units of state police forces so that they are better prepared to combat terrorist incidents even as he invited them to share NSG's expertise in counter-terrorism, bomb disposal and sniffer dogs training.

"Post the 26/11 Mumbai attacks of 2008 we have corrected and upgraded in many areas. The force has remotely operated vehicles, satellite communications system, armoured robots, unmanned aerial vehicle detection radar system and anti-drone capabilities," Deswal said.