Ultras strike... commandos retaliate... thankfully, turned out to be mock drill

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 1

Four dreaded terrorists from the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen took 18 staff members and 30 students of Strawberry Fields High School hostage here today. It took 200 black cat commandos, equipped with most sophisticated arms and ammunition, to rescue the hostages in over four hours after a fierce gun battle. Thankfully, it was a plot that took the city by surprise this evening.

Around 200 men from the country’s elite Special Action Group (SAG) of the National Security Guards (NSG) conducted a massive counter terrorist training activity at Strawberry Fields High School in Sector 26.

A part of their ongoing exercise, this was perhaps the biggest in this part of the region. It was the same group, which fought Pakistani ultras in Pathankot and Mumbai terror attacks, a senior officer told The Tribune.

A group of senior officers from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) accompanied the commandos and the entire operation, which began around 4.45 pm and continued till 9 pm, was streamed live to the MHA headquarters in New Delhi where the top bosses monitored it, the officer disclosed.

The Chandigarh Administration and the local police were informed of the operation and they made requisite arrangements to facilitate the exercise.

The entire exercise was kept a top secret till the onlookers were shocked to see the sniper carrying men in black atop fire crane taking control of not only the school campus but also its adjoining buildings of St Kabir School and the Mahatma Gandhi State Institute of Public Administration (MGSIPA).

A green corridor from the airport was given to the 200-strong guard contingent and officers of the NSG, who arrived from New Delhi by a specially chartered plane. The road on both ends was barricaded and no vehicle was was allowed to enter it.

“Very sophisticated equipment was used and drones were seen flying over the school,” a member of the operation team shared.

Armed with latest sophisticated weaponry, the NSG commandos also carried technologically upgraded gadgets such as aerial view and night vision cameras.