Anti-fidayeen mock drill held in Katra

In view of the forthcoming Independence Day celebrations on August 15, Reasi police on Wednesday conducted a joint anti-fidayeen (suicide attack) mock drill at the Sports Stadium, Katra, to assess and strengthen the preparedness, coordination and response capabilities of security and emergency response agencies.

“The mock drill was supervised by the Superintendent of Police, Katra, and jointly conducted by District Police Reasi, including SOG Katra, CRPF 6th Battalion and 173 Army Medium Regiment, with active participation of Health Services and Fire & Emergency Services,” an official said.

The exercise simulated a terror-related security contingency at the venue and comprehensively assessed the response of participating agencies, including immediate mobilisation, cordoning of the area, search and sanitisation operations, neutralisation of the simulated threat, evacuation of civilians, casualty management and fire and emergency response.

The drill provided an opportunity to test the effectiveness of established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), communication channels and rapid response mechanisms, while also identifying areas requiring further improvement.

“The exercise particularly focused on enhancing inter-agency coordination, communication, operational synergy and swift decision-making to ensure an effective and coordinated response to any unforeseen security challenge during the Independence Day celebrations. District Police Reasi reiterated its commitment to ensuring foolproof security arrangements, public safety and the peaceful conduct of Independence Day celebrations across the district,” the official said.