Soon after the terrorists struck, a group of 28 commandos of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team was sent from Chandigarh to Dinanagar at about 7 am on Monday. This team, comprising the best of the Punjab Police, carried out the operation to flush out the terrorists from the police station.

The commandos were among the 80 personnel who were selected for being trained by a special team from the Security and Protection Training School, Israel, in 2010. This was their first major operation since the training.

Police sources said the commandos have been trained in counter-terrorism operations and are armed with state-of-the-art equipment. “This was their first operation since they were trained. And they have done well,” said ADGP Intelligence, Hardeep Singh Dhillon.

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal also congratulated the SWAT team, which is a part of the Special Secuity Group (SSG) that also forms the Chief Minister’s security team. “We were confident that these commandos would do a good job. That is why they were pressed into service,” said a police officer.

K P S keeps watch

Former DGP K P S Gill kept a close watch on the terror attack in Gurdaspur and was in contact with senior police officials, getting regular updates on the operation throughout the day. He was among the first to congratulate police officials after the operation was over. “Punjab police has lived up to its reputation of wiping out terrorists once again,” was his message to a senior officer. (ENS)

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