Devesh K. Pandey

NEW DELHI: The Delhi police have set up a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team as part of their renewed counter-terror measures. Created some months ago in the wake of the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai, the team has been participating in mock security drills being carried out in the city as part of its training.

The unit at present comprises about 40 young recruits, mostly in their early 20s.

The SWAT commandos have undergone rigorous training in handling of sophisticated weapons and most have been armed with AK assault rifles.

The SWAT members, who will be armed with sophisticated light-weight weapons in future, are also being trained in hostage and crisis negotiation techniques. They are being taught ways to access a target, conduct searches and rescue operations and carry out close combats. In the recently conducted mock drills in the city, the unit headed most of the operations.

It is learnt that the unit members are also being trained in Krav Maga technique of hand-to-hand combat that focuses on tactical defence skills. It is expected to prepare them for threat neutralisation through simultaneous use of offensive and defensive moves in real-life situations. The technique was first introduced in Israel for providing combat training to security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

“If required, the unit members will also be trained by National Security Guard (NSG),” said a senior police officer, adding that details of the components of the SWAT unit are yet to be finalised.

Another police officer suggested that the specialised unit can be exposed to the experiences of the SWAT units of other countries. “They need to interact with SWAT teams from other countries to know more about their tactics while carrying out operations on the ground. Joint exercises should also be carried out for practical knowledge. They should be apprised of details of previous operations against terrorists to enrich their experience,” said the police officer

Apart from the specialised unit, newly recruited and young constables from all the districts are being imparted 45-day commando training at the Police Training College as part of the counter-terror initiatives. A 10-day refresher course in commando training is also being conducted for others.

Source: http://www.thehindu.com/

Photos: Krav Maga Photos Gallery Swat Police training in Krav Maga