Lack of staff and logistics affecting NSG capability: US State Department report
NEW DELHI: The rapid response capacity of India’s counter-terrorism unit, the National Security Guard (NSG), is limited due to its small size, the US State Department has said in a report.
“Despite its rigorous training, NSG’s rapid response capability is somewhat limited, due in part to its small staff relative to India’s large size and to the NSG’s limited independent logistics capacity,” the State Department’s Country Report on Terrorism 2018 read.
The NSG has taken part in counter-terror operations like the 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008 and the Pathankot attack in 2016.
The Ministry of Home Affairs, which handles the affairs of the NSG, did not respond to queries regarding the findings.
The report lauded India’s efforts to prevent terror incidents and bring terror perpetrators to justice. “Larger states in India have established their own multi-agency centres and are providing near real-time information on terrorism to law enforcement agencies.”
Pakistan-based terror outfits like the Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad have maintained their capability to attack Indian and Afghan targets, the report said. “Parts of India most seriously impacted by terrorism in 2018 included Jammu and Kashmir, the Northeast states, and parts of central India,” the report added.