National Security Guards
From Freepedia
National Security Guards (NSG), is a counter terrorism unit of India, raised by the Cabinet Secretariat under the National Security Guard Act of 1985.
The NSG has a total personnel strength of about 7,500 and is divided into two groups - the Special Actions Group (SAG) and the Special Rangers Group. The SAG, which comprises 54% of the total force is the elite offensive wing drawn from members of the Indian Army. The SRG has a more supportive rule and consists of members from other paramilitary units such as the Border Security Force and the Rapid Action Force.
The National Security Guards are also known as Black Cat commandos, because of the black nomex coveralls and balaclavas or assault helmets they wear.
The Black Cats were first used to combat the insurgency movement in the Indian state of Punjab in 1985. They have now evolved into a counter-terrorist unit and have continuing major combat operations in Kashmir.
Their specific goals include:
- Neutralization of terrorist threats
- Handling hijacking situations in air and on land
- Engaging and neutralizing terrorists in specific situations
- Rescue of hostages
Some NSG personnel have received training in Israel and use weapons like the 9mm Uzi sub-machine gun. Their weapons of choice include the Heckler & Koch family of 9mm sub-machine guns, the 7.62mm PSG-1 sniper weapon and the Heckler & Koch 512 12-gauge shotgun. They are also armed with state-of-the-art surveillance devices. The unit is also parachute trained.
Black Cat commandos only have a ground and air jurisdiction. Naval combat operations are within the jurisdiction of the Navy Para Commandos
Some of the NSG's previous operations include:
- May 12, 1988 — assault on the Golden Temple during Operation Black Thunder II
- April 25, 1994 — rescue of hijacked plane Indian Airlines Boeing 737 during Operation Ashwamedh
- October, 1998 — major combat missions in Kashmir
- July 15, 1999 — rescue of 12 hostages from terrorists in an apartment complex
- September 25, 2002 — operation to free hostages held by Kashmiri insurgents at Akshardham temple in Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
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