Here’s How NSG Commandos Neutralised the Pathankot Terrorists

Here’s a breakdown of how the NSG’s counter-terror operation unfolded during the Pathankot terror attack.

NSG Commandos neutralised the Pathankot terrorists after four days. (Photo: Reuters)

An officer privy to the operation said it was a difficult task as on the one hand they had to secure families, air assets, buildings and on the other to contain terrorists in a specific area and neutralise them.

In the “well-coordinated operation” troops managed to secure all air assets and the 3000 families housed in the over 1900-acre air base.

<p>The NSG aided by the Guards, special forces of IAF, Army conducted step-by-step surgical operational at specific places with some fire power of army to conclude the engagement with terrorists in over 38 hours in the 5-day long operation.</p>

<b>Senior Officer</b>

Although seven persons lost their lives, it is being considered as a coordinated and real-time based operation with air support of attack helicopters, Dhruvs, and ground support of troops armed with infantry combat vehicles, and tanks.

<p> They ran from this place...And near MES living accommodation, they fired damaging two wheelers and later went to the thick forest area close to the MES canteen.</p>

<b>Officer</b>

300 NSG Commandos Use Smart Weapons to Combat Terrorists

About 300 ‘black cat’ commandos of the elite counter-terror force, the National Security Guard (NSG), deployed an assortment of their most sophisticated assault weapons and “buster” ammunition tools to neutralise the terrorists who sneaked into the Pathankot air force base.

<p>We feel that this is the most well-coordinated operation with NSG, Army, DSC, Guards and police working in tandem to eliminate militants and secure all assets inside. </p>

<b>Senior Officer</b>

In one of the longest running counter-terror operations in the country, the NSG suffered minor and major injuries to its 21 personnel, besides the death of its bomb squad Commanding Officer Lt Col E K Niranjan, since the first detachment of about 160 commandos flew out from the Palam military airbase on January 1 on an IAF transport aircraft.

An army person guards during the operation against the militants at the Indian Air Force base in Pathankot on Monday. (Photo: PTI) 

First Detachment: 160 Commandos Flew out from Palam Military Airbase

The first team were led by NSG Inspector General (Operations) Major General Dushyant Singh even as Director General R C Tayal camped in Pathankot from Sunday. Sources privy to the operation said two more similar special strike units, with a strength of about 80 ‘black cats’ each, were airlifted to Pathankot from Delhi on January 2 and 3. They joined their ‘buddies’ thick in operations at the sprawling airbase, house to the fighter Squadrons of the IAF. They said it was a “New Year call” to the 24x7 ‘on alert’ counter-terrorist unit based at its garrison in Manesar sometime in the afternoon on January 1 and the commandos of the Special Action Group (SAG) were airborne by 3 pm.

Union Home Ministry Called NSG Headquarters to Prepare the Commando Team for Assault

The call to air-dash to Pathankot was made by the Union Home Ministry to the NSG headquarters, which quickly asked its Force Commander in Manesar to prepare the commando team for assault.

Security forces stand guard near a road barrier outside the air force base in Pathankot, Saturday, January 2, 2016. (Photo: AP)

“Buster” Ammunition Tools Used to Neutralise Terrorists at Air Force Base

<p>We contained them in this area only and conducted step-by-step surgical operations to neutralise them.</p>

<b>Officer</b>

The NSG commandos extensively used “buster”tools, which included MP-5 assault rifles, Glock pistols, corner-shot guns and a heavy cache of door and wall-busting explosives. The “buster”tools used in this operation were enhanced variants of the tools used by the NSG during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

First Two Terrorists Killed

Two terrorists, the sources said, were killed by the NSG men when they were hiding and launching continuous fire and lobbing grenades from a room where the family quarters of the Defence Security Corps (DSC) is located in the airbase. The room was later demolished through heavy fire. They said the NSG commandos and other security forces had been undertaking the “render safe” procedure that entails sanitising the area from hidden improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and booby traps, and hence the operation is taking time.

<p> Such thing is done after every operation. The area of the IAF base is large and complex hence it is taking time.</p>

<b>Anonymous source</b>

K9s on Site

Half-a-dozen sniffer dogs from the canine (K9) squad along with their handlers had also been pressed into service by the NSG.

A file photo of a K-9 dog in training. (Photo courtesy: Flickr)

The Death of NSG Lt. Col Niranjan

While the elite counter-terror and counter-hijack force has not given a name to the operation till now, like the ‘Op Black Tornado’ for the 26/11 Mumbai task, the force for the first time lost an officer from its bomb disposal squad. Thirty-four-year-old Lt Col and Group Captain Niranjan was heading the unit, sources said, and was trying to clear and sanitise the body of a terrorist and the surrounding area when a cleverly concealed grenade blew up, fatally injuring the officer and five others.

Friends and relatives arrive to pay tributes to Lt Col Niranjan Kumar (inset), the National Security Guards (NSG) commando who was killed in a grenade blast at the air base at Pathankot, at his home in Kerala. (Photo: PTI)

The highly decorated officer was immediately taken to the hospital where he breathed his last. He is the 19th martyr of the force, which was raised in 1984 for special operations and as a federal contingency force for India.

<p> He was part of the first team that went to Pathankot on Friday as there were inputs that the terrorists are carrying huge explosives. Niranjan and his bomb disposal men were tasked to aid the fighting units. He joined NSG in May, 2014 on deputation from the Engineers Regiment of the Army which he joined in 2004. He was a dare-devil officer and had been part of a special training with the FBI in the US in combating IEDs and deadly explosives a few months ago.</p>

<b>Niranjan’s Commando Course Colleague</b>

The NSG had called the officer’s martyrdom as an act bearing “exemplary courage and utmost devotion to duty”.

Inspector General, NSG, Major General Dushyant Singh and Air Officer Commodore (AOC) JS Dhamoon address a press conference regarding their operations against militants at Indian Air Force base in Pathankot on Jan 4, 2016.

<p>They killed one DSC some meters away, they burnt three motorcycles, and at first contact place, they burnt a bus. An officer lost his life in the open patch area during handling of the militants’ body. </p>

<b>Officer</b>

Recovery from Terrorists

• Five AK 47
• Under-barrel grenade launcher
• Three pistols
• Three knives
• Three wire cutters
• 28 magazines of AK rifle
• 3 pistol magazines
• 40 to 50 kgs of bullets
• High explosives and mortars
• Wireless sets
• Injections
• Some tables lighters
• Indian currency
• handwritten notes in Urdu
  

Seven security personnel and six terrorists have been killed in the attack.

(With PTI inputs)