Joint exercise between Indian Army – Maharashtra police held at Lullanagar
Chaitraly Deshmukh
Agnibaaz Division on 22 March had organised Suraksha Kavach 2 – a joint exercise between Indian Army and Maharastra Police at Lulla Nagar.
The aim of the exercise was to harmonize the drills and procedures undertaken by Army and Police to counter any likely terrorist actions in Pune. The exercise involved participation of Counter Terrorism Task Force (CTTF) of Indian Army, Anti-Terrorism Squad of Maharashtra Police alongwith Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs), Dog Squads and Bomb Disposal Teams of both agencies. A simulated exercise scenario in the backdrop of presence of terrorists in a populated area was depicted at a under construction site at Lullanagar.
Based on simulated intelligence inputs, the elite forces of both agencies were activated. Traffic control on the nearby roads was jointly carried out by Maharashtra traffic police and Corps of Military Police, followed by establishment of outer cordon by QRTs of Indian Army units.
Joint action was thereafter carried out by Army’s CTTF and QRT of Maharashtra Police to neutralize the terrorists. It involved establishment of inner cordon, intervention drill in the area followed by search of building for any unidentified items/bombs/IEDs by Dog squads and their neutralization/ diffusion by Bomb Disposal Units. Evacuation of people in the complex including casualties was also practiced.
An equipment display was also organized, showcasing important equipment required for the conduct of such an exercise. The exercise provided an opportunity for both Indian Army and Maharashtra Police to coopt and streamline their drills and procedures, thereby enhancing intervenability and coordination between both the organisations.
