MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

svinayak
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Post by svinayak »


Centre clears NSG for six cities

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/centr ... es/392506/

Ritu Sarin Posted: Dec 01, 2008 at 0914 hrs IST
Related Stories: ‘Indira would have made us very proud’It’s back to BJP bashing for Rahul in RajasthanVP Singh crematedJudges’ salary hike: Ministry has its way
Mumbai: The Centre has drafted a plan to urgently deploy rapid action units of the National Security Guard (NSG) in six or seven cities, including Mumbai. Until the state units are created, it is proposed to utilise personnel of commando units of the three armed forces in the states.

Though a Cabinet note for NSG “decentralization” was ready weeks before the Mumbai attack, the proposal is being amended following the high-level meeting chaired by the Prime Minister yesterday.

Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar, who attended the meeting, told The Indian Express that the NSG’s state expansion plan, augmentation of coastal security, creation of a federal investigation agency and steps to be taken to improve security in hotels were among the subjects discussed at the meeting.

National Security Advisor M K Narayanan, Principal Secretary T K A Nair, Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta and the Defence chiefs also attended the meeting.

“For the next one week, I will be postponing most other scheduled meetings to give final shape to proposals on all these subjects,” Chandrasekhar said.
Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta told The Indian Express that a review has been undertaken on creation of a third-tier of coastal security, in addition to the Navy and Coast Guards. The current plan envisages provision of a fleet of 208 new patrolling boats to sensitive coastal states, including Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Gupta said a process was being coordinated with the Ministry of Defence for purchase of three new aircraft by the Home Ministry — these will be used by paramilitary forces, including the NSG, for emergencies such as the Mumbai attacks.

These proposals are significant considering that the NSG has long demanded its own air-wing and a lot of time was taken to fly in commandos to Mumbai. The NSG, incidentally, has over 300 vacant posts.

“As far as the need for urgent transportation of paramilitary forces, including the NSG, to spots hit by Terror attacks or natural disaster, the proposal is for purchase of one large aircraft like an IL-76 and two fixed wing aircraft,” Gupta said. “The need for decentralizing the NSG was felt so that the response time in commando deployment is cut down. Fresh recruitment is proposed for state commando units.”

He said he has been holding detailed reviews with state governments on a 2006 proposal for a third tier of coastal security which includes creation of 73 new coastal police stations. The scheme is expected to be fully implemented by 2009.
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by Nikhil T »

1.How NSG men fight
Rediff article on the op strategy of NSG for the Op Black Tornado.
Looking at the requirement of this particular operation, the boys were equipped with a brand new set of hooligan tools including special spanners, screw-drivers, nuts, bolts and some hardware jacks which are helpful making a surprise entry into a room," a senior security official said
2. Israel - India's rescue efforts 'premature and badly planned'
Indian counter-terrorist forces were well trained but failed to gather sufficient intelligence before engaging the terrorists, they said.

"In hostage situations, the first thing the forces are supposed to do is assemble at the scene and begin collecting intelligence," said a former official in Shin Bet, the Israel Security Agency

"In this case, it appears that the forces showed up at the scene and immediately began exchanging fire with the terrorists instead of first taking control of the area," he said.
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by sarulan »

read the first post AND the thread title.
Last edited by Rahul M on 01 Dec 2008 23:36, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: edited.
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by HariC »

http://www.hindu.com/2008/12/02/stories ... 990300.htm

NSG commandos relive anti-terrorist operations


Parul Sharma

Despite the gruelling action they show no sign of fatigue
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
‘The first priority was to take the guests out and then neutralise the militants’
‘The team went inside the Oberoi Hotel from a route not covered by the media’
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NEW DELHI: As he laughs heartily, exchanges jokes with his colleagues and chats about his family, it is difficult to imagine that this National Security Guard commando was involved in the anti-terrorist operations in Mumbai till about a day ago.

However, a bruise on his left ear indicated that this officer was in the thick of things. “A bullet fired by a terrorist brushed past my ear,” he says nonchalantly, playing down the consequences if the bullet had been two inches to the right.

Despite a gruelling counter-offensive operation against the terrorists holed up at three different places in Mumbai, the commandos of the elite force who returned from that city to the Capital in two batches on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon showed little signs of fatigue.

Talking to reporters, Colonel Sunil Sheoran, a highly decorated officer and the group commander of the 51 SAG (Special Action Group), said their first priority was to take the guests out and then neutralise the militants.

‘Test of training’


“I told my jawans that this was a test of all the training that they had undergone so far. There were many rooms at the Taj Mahal hotel. There was no point in sending a large group to a room, as we would have ended up with collateral damage. So we made small groups to sanitise the rooms.”

He mentioned how all three places – Taj Mahal Hotel, Oberoi-Trident Hotel and Nariman House – had their own “peculiarities and difficulties”.

A commando who was involved in the operations at the Oberoi Hotel said the team went inside the building from a route not covered by the media.

Recounting the operation, he said: “Initially the two terrorists at the Oberoi were together on the 18th floor, but one of them came out and was looking for an exit that our team was manning. He opened fire and we returned it.”

“After a few rounds, he limped back as he was hit by us and took shelter in a dark place and we cornered him. We were operating in back-up power. We were careful not to let him slip out at night. We engaged him till the first light next morning and then shot him after knowing his exact location,” the officer said.

The second terrorist who was lodged in room number 1856 was also killed by morning.

Some commandos revealed that what delayed the operation even after the militants were killed was that people inside the rooms did not respond even when the NSG group knocked on the door to check.

“People inside were cautious and despite our pleas they would not come out. The hotel staff tried calling the internal phones, but the guests did not take the call. We could not make any central announcement, as we were not sure if there were only two terrorists in the building,” he added.

The team that flushed the militants at the Oberoi-Trident said the hotel staff, particularly a security officer, was of immense help during the 30-hour operation.
Last edited by Jagan on 02 Dec 2008 09:06, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by Pranay »

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/01/world ... ?ref=world

Some additional details about the NSG op. in the Taj.

"J. K. Dutt, the director general of India’s National Security Guards, the commando force that took the lead in the fighting, said Sunday in a televised news conference that the most difficult gunman to attack in the Taj hotel was one who ascended a spiral staircase and took up a position behind an extremely thick pillar that was part of the 105-year-old building’s original structure.

Particularly at the Taj, the attackers seemed to have detailed knowledge of the building’s layout, Mr. Dutt said. They kept moving among large halls with multiple entrances, not allowing themselves to be cornered in small rooms without other exits. By contrast, the commandos and the police had old blueprints of the massive, labyrinthine hotel that did not clearly show which passageways were connected and which were blocked by walls, and did not show recent construction, Mr. Dutt said."
Last edited by Jagan on 02 Dec 2008 09:07, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: edited
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by Rahul M »

http://www.forbes.com/opinions/2008/12/ ... llack.html
By the time dawn broke, the commandos had successfully secured our corridor. A young commando led out the people packed into Anjali's room. When one woman asked whether it was safe to leave, the commando replied: "Don't worry, you have nothing to fear. The first bullets have to go through me."
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by Rahul M »

Black Cat Commando's Mumbai Story

One of India's elite 'Black Cat' commandos has told Sky News how he was wounded in the Mumbai attacks. Sunil Kumar was shot three times in the back as he dragged a wounded victim in the Taj Mahal palace hotel to safety.
http://www.truveo.com/Black-Cat-Command ... 1044071813

I don't know if sky will archive this vid or not. could some member download it and upload it on youtube ?
it's worth saving.
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by Raja Bose »

Rahul M wrote:http://www.forbes.com/opinions/2008/12/ ... llack.html
By the time dawn broke, the commandos had successfully secured our corridor. A young commando led out the people packed into Anjali's room. When one woman asked whether it was safe to leave, the commando replied: "Don't worry, you have nothing to fear. The first bullets have to go through me."
Whenever I think God has stopped making men like these....I always realize that He has not stopped, for this is the Indian Soldier. I knew two people who were caught up in the Mumbai Terrorist Attacks - one was a hostage and she did not make it, the other from IN participated in the Oberoi/Trident ops and he made it.
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by Raja Bose »

Rahul M wrote:
Black Cat Commando's Mumbai Story

One of India's elite 'Black Cat' commandos has told Sky News how he was wounded in the Mumbai attacks. Sunil Kumar was shot three times in the back as he dragged a wounded victim in the Taj Mahal palace hotel to safety.
http://www.truveo.com/Black-Cat-Command ... 1044071813

I don't know if sky will archive this vid or not. could some member download it and upload it on youtube ?
it's worth saving.
Video is on YouTube already at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIRENppqxQw

Just as a matter of record, based on piecing together from different news sources, I reconstructed the following encounter surrounding Major Unnikrishnan's death (please correct me if I am wrong though!). Sunil Kumar was wounded in the incident where Major Unnikrishnan was killed. The other commando Ranjit Lamba was also wounded but is in stable condition.

The event:
~14 member total, clearing floors in top down fashion. Major Unnikrishnan was team commander, Ranjit Lamba was first through the door. He saw a guy seemingly unarmed and challenged him (I dont think they had been ordered to capture the terrorists alive but the presence of hostages behind locked rooms might have led them to hold off on shooting). Another guy came from behind and shot Lamba in the hand (and possibly the hotel employee being mentioned), Lamba fired back and during the ensuing crossfire, Major Unni got killed and Sunil Kumar was wounded. Both terrorists perished in the incident. Thereafter the other team quickly moved to another room close by and breached the door with a charge but due to excessive amount of explosives used, Lamba got a burn on his face (from pics on rediff does not seem to be a very serious one) and lost consciousness. Major Unni was not KIA but was WIA..his body was collected by ambulance attendant who were provided BPJs and escorted by NSG commandos to 3rd floor amidst firing from terrorists. Major Unni died of wounds, in hospital later, he was 31 and unmarried.

The info I dont have is where was the Major hit/cause of death. Unfortunately Gajendar Singh (who was on deputation to NSG from 10Para Cdo) has not received too much publicity....only thing I know is he died of splinter injuries when grenade was thrown at him and he was leading the assault.
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by rajkhalsa »

The Boston Globe's Big Picture has some high quality (and heart-wrenching) photos of the attack. Worth reading are the comments:

Image
A member of the anti-terrorist squad takes a position during an engagement with suspected militants at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai, India, Friday, Nov. 28, 2008. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade)

Image
A National Security Guard (NSG) commando aims towards a window after an explosion on the fourth floor of the Nariman House where suspected militants are hiding, in Mumbai November 28, 2008. (REUTERS/Punit Paranjpe)

Image
Indian commandos stand on a balcony of the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower Hotel after they gained control of it, on November 29, 2008 in Mumbai, India. (Uriel Sinai/Getty Images)
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by shiv »

India Commandos being heli-dropped on Nariman house
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by shiv »

Action in Nariman house, Mumbai
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by Singha »

in nariman house: terrorists blew down the lift doors on all floors and hid inside the shaft
whenever NSG fired.
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by Aditya G »

Very interesting picture. SLR being used for sniping:

NSG or MARCOS?

Image
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by Aditya G »

Is that laser spot on the MP5?

Image

Advanced troop transport vehicle :roll:

Image
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by Nikhil T »

Last edited by Nikhil T on 02 Dec 2008 22:43, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by Raja Bose »

Some more articles (Rediff, Hindu etc.) on how NSG fight and some of their hitherto unknown equipments. Previously B-R has had articles from Rediff (usually Varsha Bhosle) which have been reproduced in the Army section. Is it possible for any B-R adminullahs to obtain copyright permission so that we may archive these articles and those tons of pics and NSG/MARCO interview videos on B-R...it will really expand the Special Forces section which has been stagnant for a while. This operation has been a treasure trove of info on the NSG and even the secretive MARCOS. I can definitely help with revamping that section if adminullahs think fit.

http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/nov/29m ... htm?zcc=rl
NSG: Fighting with hooligan tools, dagger and English!
NSG commandos, who executed the operations in the country's longest terrorist siege here in the recent past, are specially equipped with a set of "hooligan tools", a "smart dagger" and some are fluent in English to accomplish "Operation Black Tornado".

"Looking at the requirement of this particular operation, the boys were equipped with a brand new set of hooligan tools including special spanners, screw-drivers, nuts, bolts and some hardware jacks which are helpful making a surprise entry into a room," a senior security official said.

Few commandos, who are fluent in English, were also embedded in different teams that went inside Taj Hotel, Oberoi (Trident) and Nariman House.

All these places had foreigners and dignitaries for which English-speaking commandos were useful to establish contact with the hostages while evacuating them, the official said.

This was done on the ground, right when the offensive was being planned here, he said.

"The places where the NSG had operated were all large residential complexes which obviously would have many doors and entrances. In the worst cases, hostages will have to be evacuated forcibly and the hardware jacks would help the commandos break open and unlock the doors," he said.

The commandos are trained to "neutralise the enemy immediately", which means shooting right in between the eyes of the terrorists.

The NSG men also had smart daggers with for one-to-one combat.

"The daggers are of such high precision that it is said that it is a pleasure to die of its strike," a source said.

Not every time the technique of blasting a room door through "door frame charges" suffices where a door is blown using mild explosives.

The commandos, dressed in all black, wore NIJ-Level 3 (National Institute of Justice, US) bullet-proof jackets which have armour plates on the front and the back, groin pads fastened with straps, a senior army official who coordinated with the NSG said.

The jackets come in three volume variants, viz, small (5.8 kg), medium (six kg) and large (6.2 kg).

The usage of the different variants depends on the nature of operation -- swift or long drawn.

The commandos and the officials who carried out frontal offensives at all the three places did not had any communication with their formations right behind them as they had no walkie-talkie sets or cochlear microphones.

"It is only the sign language that they communicated with. Microphones or any other mode of communication disturb, ruling out the possibility of a silent and deadly execution."

While the commandos are not supposed to carry refreshments during such operations, they had MP-5 guns with a bore of around 4.7 mm, AK series assault rifles, Automatic Grenade Launchers (AGL's), Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL) magazines and handful of grenades.
On their first hand experience (Hindu), the whole world has seen the menacing MARCOS on Timesnow CNN and what not, so here's the NSG's tale:

http://www.hindu.com/2008/12/02/stories ... 990300.htm
NSG commandos relive anti-terrorist operations

Parul Sharma

Despite the gruelling action they show no sign of fatigue

‘The first priority was to take the guests out and then neutralise the militants’

‘The team went inside the Oberoi Hotel from a route not covered by the media’

NEW DELHI: As he laughs heartily, exchanges jokes with his colleagues and chats about his family, it is difficult to imagine that this National Security Guard commando was involved in the anti-terrorist operations in Mumbai till about a day ago.

However, a bruise on his left ear indicated that this officer was in the thick of things. “A bullet fired by a terrorist brushed past my ear,” he says nonchalantly, playing down the consequences if the bullet had been two inches to the right.

Despite a gruelling counter-offensive operation against the terrorists holed up at three different places in Mumbai, the commandos of the elite force who returned from that city to the Capital in two batches on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon showed little signs of fatigue.

Talking to reporters, Colonel Sunil Sheoran, a highly decorated officer and the group commander of the 51 SAG (Special Action Group), said their first priority was to take the guests out and then neutralise the militants.
‘Test of training’

“I told my jawans that this was a test of all the training that they had undergone so far. There were many rooms at the Taj Mahal hotel. There was no point in sending a large group to a room, as we would have ended up with collateral damage. So we made small groups to sanitise the rooms.”

He mentioned how all three places – Taj Mahal Hotel, Oberoi-Trident Hotel and Nariman House – had their own “peculiarities and difficulties”.

A commando who was involved in the operations at the Oberoi Hotel said the team went inside the building from a route not covered by the media.

Recounting the operation, he said: “Initially the two terrorists at the Oberoi were together on the 18th floor, but one of them came out and was looking for an exit that our team was manning. He opened fire and we returned it.”

“After a few rounds, he limped back as he was hit by us and took shelter in a dark place and we cornered him. We were operating in back-up power. We were careful not to let him slip out at night. We engaged him till the first light next morning and then shot him after knowing his exact location,” the officer said.

The second terrorist who was lodged in room number 1856 was also killed by morning.

Some commandos revealed that what delayed the operation even after the militants were killed was that people inside the rooms did not respond even when the NSG group knocked on the door to check.

“People inside were cautious and despite our pleas they would not come out. The hotel staff tried calling the internal phones, but the guests did not take the call. We could not make any central announcement, as we were not sure if there were only two terrorists in the building,” he added.

The team that flushed the militants at the Oberoi-Trident said the hotel staff, particularly a security officer, was of immense help during the 30-hour operation.
A mix of first hand experience, weapons and tactics information from NSG commandos (Rediff):

http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/nov/29m ... mmando.htm
Terrorists gave up on Day 3, killed hostages

The 60-hour terror showdown finally came to an end at the Taj Mahal [Images] Palace on Saturday.

As the entire world watched the drama unfold, National Security Guard commandos braved all odds to fight terrorists for nearly 60 hours in the Taj hotel.

One of the commandos, who was part of the action, described to rediff.com how the drama unfolded and the ordeal they underwent to flush out the terrorists who had held the entire city ransom.

The commando, who did not wish to be named, said the battle was over at 3 PM on Friday itself. The terrorists had started to lose motivation at 3 PM on Friday. In his own words, the NSG commando says woh log toh bore ho gaye.

'On day one, when we began the combat, these men were extremely aggressive. We had just entered the hotel and realised that they were in a very strong position. On the second day, it looked like they were losing ground. However, they did not seem to be giving up.

'The exchange was fierce between both parties and they resorted to hurling grenades several times in order to block the route for us. It was actually the third day that made the difference. The exchange of fire escalated and we decided to engage in the fire and not let up. This gun battle in fact broke them and we took the upper hand in the battle.'

The mindset of the terrorist:
'As I had pointed out earlier, these terrorists were aggressive by nature. They were running about and most of the time they were cursing us in Hindi. They looked determined to fight till the very end. However, on day three we saw their attitude sagging.

'We continued to fire at them and they retorted only with a single shot. That is how low their morale was. Unlike the first day when they were coming on to us and firing back, day three saw them taking cover most of the time. They kept hurling grenades at us. However, that too came down when we retaliated.

'The terrorists hardly spoke and we could never hear their conversation. On day three, when they realised that they were losing the battle they began screaming and cursing us in bad language. I think they were speaking in Hindi.

The final assault:
'After we realised that their position had weakened, our next aim was to step in save the remaining hostages. But we realised that we had approached the end game and so did they. As the night wore on they began killing the rest of the hostages, who they had kept in a room. There was nothing we could do about it.

'When we realised that they had no more hostages left to use as a shield, we began increasing the pressure and began pushing them to a corner and got ready for an all out assault. By 6 AM on Saturday, we had them totally cornered. They were all killed in the ensuing exchange.

'During the last few minutes, both hurled grenades at each other and due to this a part of the building caught fire. The last of the terrorists was caught in the fire and he fell off the window and lost his life.

The numbers:
'A total of 180 commandos were involved in the operation. Some of us took a break from time to time. Some of us briefly even went to the Nariman House to finish off the operation.

'During the operation at the Taj, we saw there were more than 8 terrorists. However, we do not know how many civilians were trapped in the building.

Tactics and weapons:
'The idea of the terrorists was to continue fighting for as long as possible. They too were aware that their battle could be on only until they had hostages as human shields. They had with them AK-47s and hand grenades and it looked like they had a lot of ammunition on them.

'All through the battle they tried to keep us away from them. We also do not rule out that they were even trying to bring the building down by starting fires all over. We had at our disposal a host of automatic weapons and stun grenades, which we used with great effect to scare and disorient the terrorists.
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

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Image

First time I notice wheel fenders on mi-17

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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

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[self-deleted]
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by somak »

BTW it's HALLIGAN TOOLor HALLIGAN BAR and NOT Hooligan tool
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halligan_bar
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by arun_nair »

not the Q&A thread. use the small arms or the special forces thread.
Last edited by Rahul M on 03 Dec 2008 09:27, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: OT post edited.
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by shiv »

somak wrote:BTW it's HALLIGAN TOOLor HALLIGAN BAR and NOT Hooligan tool
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halligan_bar

The Wiki link mentions Hooligan as a variant of Halligan.
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by Raja Bose »

Another NSG article (Rediff) - shows the tough mindset of the commandos.

http://www.rediff.com/news/2008/nov/28- ... -alive.htm


We don't leave the enemy alive

"That's not our policy -- to leave the enemy alive," Arutselvam of the National Security Guard said as he emerged from Nariman House in Colaba, south Mumbai, at 1030 pm, after the long security operation against the terrorists who had taken over the Jewish centre. He was calm and looked relaxed. The fatigue of working for 18 hours had not taken its toll. At least, it did not show.

The NSG commandos arrived at Nariman House directly from the airport and were not planning to return to their headquarters near New Delhi [Images]. "Some of us are going to the Taj to help, the others will wait. We don't know where these terrorists will turn up next."

The commandos got into the buses and nonchalantly started chatting amongst themselves. The crowds outside the buses went berserk. Some cheered, others clapped. "Bharat Mata Ki Jai," screamed the crowd.

Two-and-a-half hours earlier, at 8 pm, the situation was different. Sporadic gunfire could be heard from Nariman House. Explosions rocked the area at frequent intervals. The crowds and television crews were being kept at a distance.

Shamu Begum and her four children lives down the lane from Nariman House. "My kids have to go for tuitions in the building next to Nariman House. I haven't allowed them to go for the last two days. We were initially scared. While Mumbai has seen frequent bomb blasts, Colaba has always been safe. There are so many foreigners here. It is a tourist area. So security is high here. I have never seen anything like this. I was scared about my kids. But that was the day before yesterday. After the commandos came I am not scared. I know that they came here alive. But the terrorists will leave here dead. Our commandos will kill them."

Raju also lives in the same lane. "They (the terrorists) landed near Badhwar Park (an area close to Nariman House) and ran down this lane. They first shot a young boy and then hurled a grenade at the petrol pump. Luckily, nothing happened to the pump. If the grenade had exploded, the whole area would have been devastated."

Once the terrorists entered Nariman House the locals did not know what to do, and waited for the Mumbai police to do something. But the fact that Israelis were held hostage, it had to be the NSG commandos who did the job.

"We are sad for the families who lost their lives," one NSG officer said as the commandos left the site. "Those ******** killed them. We are also sorry that we had to destroy most of the building, we had no choice. But we did not spare them."

After the NSG teams left, the Mumbai police took over the site. The bomb disposal squad and its sniffer dogs entered Nariman House to make sure that no bombs lurked there. "They will find a few grenades," Arutselvam told us.

"The Jews used to feed the poor who came there," Raju said. "They were nice people."
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by Raja Bose »

shiv wrote:
somak wrote:BTW it's HALLIGAN TOOLor HALLIGAN BAR and NOT Hooligan tool
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halligan_bar

The Wiki link mentions Hooligan as a variant of Halligan.
Halligan is the original equipment. Modded equipments (such as those used by NSG) commonly called Hooligan so article is correct.
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by Raja Bose »

More first-hand experience info from NSG commandos (Hindu):

http://www.hindu.com/2008/11/30/stories ... 101600.htm


Why the action took as long as it did

Mumbai: The high motivation levels of the terrorists, who laid siege to the Taj Mahal hotel, prolonged the fierce gun battle for about 60 hours, said National Security Guard (NSG) commandos, who participated in the operation.

“The terrorists were trained but not as good as we were. But what really prolonged the entire operation was that they were highly motivated and never bothered about their lives and even if they did, it was only to take more lives,” havildar Azad Singh, a commando, said.

Mr. Singh, who had been at the hotel for the entire duration and was also involved in a dramatic shootout with two terrorists on Saturday, said the operation was hampered because of darkness as the lights were destroyed by the terrorists.

He said, “the area was also booby trapped which made it more difficult for the operation.”

Giving details of Saturday’s shoot-out, he said, “we were doing room checks when shots were fired at us. We ducked a grenade hurled inside the room.”

After a few seconds of the blast, the terrorists fired yet again making the commandos answer with double firepower.

“I was asked to move ahead and I did so by firing continuously. Inside the room was a terrorist who had got shot and he staggered behind and hit the window. I sensed an opportunity and fired at him and he fell out because of the shots,” he added.

Another commando, Rameshwaran, said, “we didn’t want to move in and we waited for some time. After some minutes, we saw another terrorist peeping out to see if we had left. The moment he did so, we fired at him killing him instantly.”

A commando, who did not wish to be identified, said, “The terrorists were mainly holed up in the upper section and we were downstairs. Initially every time we made an attempt to move out, grenades were hurled at us to prevent us from doing so.”

He said the terrorists had intentionally set on fire certain portions of the hotel to divert attention.

“Our top officers were present throughout the operation. It is a combined effort of the NSG, the Army and the Navy,” he added.

The NSG commandos, who executed the operation in the country’s longest terrorist siege here in the recent past, are specially equipped with a set of special tools. — PTI
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by Raja Bose »

Poignant piece about Havaldar Gajendra Singh Bisht who died during the Nariman House operations (Indian Express):

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/he-ha ... th/392346/

He had always wanted to die a hero’s death

Dehradun: The tiny village of Ganeshpur turned out in full strength to bid adieu to its hero, Havaldar Gajendra Singh Bisht (36), the National Security Guards (NSG) commando who died fighting terrorists in Mumbai.

Havaldar Gajendra’s mortal remains were consigned to the flames with full military honours on Saturday afternoon with more than a thousand people from Ganeshpur and its adjoining villages participating in the funeral.

“He had always wanted to be in the forces and had always wanted to die like a hero. And that is precisely what happened,” said his brother, Birender Singh Bisht, an official in the Uttarakhand Police. Amongst those present to pay their respects to the martyr was his teacher from Janata Inter College in Naya Gaon Subhash Chand Jasola. “He had studied in the college from 1980 to 1990. I cannot forget his interest in sports, particularly boxing. He was a disciplined student and participated in every event organised in the school, be it sports or cultural activities,” said Jasola, who teaches English at the college. He said that Havaldar Gajendra is the third student from the college to have died for the country in military operations. Earlier, two of his former students had died during the Kargil operations. Havaldar Gajendra had also participated in the Kargil operations.

The college was shut for the day in honour of Havaldar Gajendra’s sacrifice and the entire staff and students had turned up for his funeral.

“I met him last in August when our father Late Daulat Singh had died. Thereafter, we had been in touch on phone,” said his brother. He said Gajendra joined the Garhwal Rifles in 1991 and then chose to be part of the 10 Para (Special Force). Thereafter, he had opted to be a NSG commando. He was based in Delhi when he was asked to be part of Mumbai operation.

“After having dinner on November 26, he got a call from his office saying that an alert has been sounded. He had left the house carrying bare essentials, telling me that he would be back in a while. It was a couple of hours later that we were told that he had been sent to Mumbai,” said his wife Vineeta Devi (31). She said her husband wanted their daughter Preeti (10) to be an air hostess and son Gaurav (12) to be an Army officer. “I wonder where we are faltering in dealing with terrorism. We have the best of forces and technology. We need to ponder why innocents are losing their lives while those compromising with their duties are making millions,” said the deceased’s maternal uncle Dr Hoshiar Singh Negi.

Uttarakhand Governor B.L. Joshi, Chief Minister B.C. Khanduri and IMA Commandant Lt Gen R.S. Sujlana paid a visit to Havaldar Gajendra’s house to offer their condolences to his family. In his address, Joshi said, “As the Governor of the state, I am proud of the supreme sacrifice made by Havaldar Gajendra. At the same time, I am also very sad at his untimely death. The whole nation is with his family at this hour of grief.” Khanduri announced an immediate aid of Rs 5 lakh to the family of Havaldar Ganjendra.
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by neerajb »

moved to appropriate forum.
Last edited by Rahul M on 03 Dec 2008 18:23, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: edited.
Aditya G
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by Aditya G »

Now meet khaki coloured vests with NSG:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kalpakpathak/3078259070/

Who are these medics?
Image
Dmurphy
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by Dmurphy »

Thats TOPS security, one of India's largest security agency.
rohitvats
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by rohitvats »

Gentlemen, the Khaki colored BPJ seem to be from the MARCOS. Just check the epaulete on one of the khakhi BPJ guys. There is one more snap in which the Navy epaulettes are clearly visible (he's wearing a black BPJ though)
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by Anujan »

Image
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pmund
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by pmund »

Nice to see one of my articles here. Unni was a term junior to me in NDA. It was a huge shock. Terrific chap. Almost too nice to be a commando, but don't doubt his courage or ruthlesslness. Dear Unni, RIP.
Here is the link for another story.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Citi ... 766183.cms
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by ramana »

pmund wrote:Nice to see one of my articles here. Unni was a term junior to me in NDA. It was a huge shock. Terrific chap. Almost too nice to be a commando, but don't doubt his courage or ruthlesslness. Dear Unni, RIP.
Here is the link for another story.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Citi ... 766183.cms

Welcome. Please convey our regards to his family and all others in service.

Thanks, ramana
Raja Bose
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by Raja Bose »

pmund wrote:Nice to see one of my articles here. Unni was a term junior to me in NDA. It was a huge shock. Terrific chap. Almost too nice to be a commando, but don't doubt his courage or ruthlesslness. Dear Unni, RIP.
Here is the link for another story.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Citi ... 766183.cms
Which one is your article can you please indicate.

If you are in touch with the Major Unnikrishnan's family, please pass on our respects to them. It was heartbreaking to see what his parents had to go through, that too in the glare of publcity of our insensitive media and disgusting so-called leaders.

Best regards.
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Re: MARCOS & NSG ops in Mumbai Attack (News and Pics ONLY)

Post by pmund »

It was on Unni. In the print edition, it came out as 'NDA buddies remember tough commando with kind heart'. Here is the web link to the story. The forum administrator has already picked up the story, i think from Delhi. Thanks again
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Indi ... 774026.cms
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