NSG conducts counter-terrorism drill onboard Garga river cruise in Varanasi

New Delhi, Nov 14 (PTI) Commandos of the National Security Guard (NSG) along with other agencies on Friday conducted a mock counter-terrorism drill onboard a cruise ship on the Ganga river in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi, an official statement said.

The NSG team was joined by commandos of the Uttar Pradesh police, apart from officials of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) for the exercise, the statement said.

According to officials, the mock drill, codenamed 'Operation Ganga Guard', was conducted at the Ravi Das ghat to "validate India's response capabilities against an escalating threat to its inland waterways and river cruise industry".

The drill simulated a scenario of a cruise vessel under terrorist siege, along with hostages and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). NSG 'black cat' commandos slithered down from an Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper on to the vessel. NSG divers and assault teams on speedboats also joined the exercise.

"The drill comes amid a rising interest in river cruises, making them potential targets and the NSG is practising to stay ahead of the curve," the statement said.

"The inclusion of the IAF and IWAI underscores the need for a unified command structure when tackling crises on the nation's waterways," it said.

The NSG was raised in 1984 and it tasked with specific counter-terror and counter-seige operations apart from providing security cover to select high-risk VIPs. PTI NES ARB ARB