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Rising in tandem with the Indian Army and the other security agencies to tackle any challenge arising from military escalation between India and Pakistan, Punjab Police have mobilised their elite forces — Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams, Special Operations Groups (SOG) and Ghatak forces — as the second line of defence along the Pakistan border.
As many as 16 companies from Punjab Armed Police (PAP) have also been deployed, following a thorough ground assessment. Additionally, more than 90 nakas have been set up along the border at strategic points, complete with specialised heavy vehicles.
The SWAT, SOGs, Ghatak squads — trained on the manuals developed by Israil’s national intelligence agency Mosaad — are generally brought in for VVIP duties, such as visits by the President and Prime minister.
An ADGP rank officer disclosed that Punjab Police had been working to develop these elite units as the “second wall” since 2017.
“The special cops who have been trained for war-like situations have been moved to the sensitive border areas to meet out any challenge arising out of the escalation,” said a senior police official.
SWAT had played a major role in neutralising terrorists during the Dinanagar attack in July 2015. The very next year, these teams were also deployed outside the Pathankot airbase in another terrorist attack.
