THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala police have put together a specialised urban commando wing to combat terrorist threats in urban centres. The Avengers force would have a distinctive identity by way of uniform and insignia, and will be deployed in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode. The state government on Friday ratified a decision by the state police chief to constitute the wing.
The formation of the new wing gains significance at a time when unprecedented security measures for the chief minister have been drawing flak from various corners. Sources said the commando wing could be deployed primarily to ensure the CM’s security.
As per the order, Avengers will be maintained as a separate corps drawn from Thunderbolt Commandos only for the functional activities of the police. They will not be used for any other type of duties other than special operations and related activities. The wing will be under the functional control of an IG/DIG of the Anti-Terrorist Squad.
96 commandos to be inducted in initial stage
Initially, it will operate with 96 commandos and would be expanded later. The special force will also have selected personnel from the Commando unit of the India Reserve Battalion. “The vision of the organisation is to create a world-class combat unit which can effectively counter threats posed by terrorism in urban settings.
The mission of ‘Avengers’ shall be to be a specialised SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) team capable of effectively tackling any exigency arising out of terrorist aggression in urban areas in Kerala,” the order said. The primary functions of the commando unit include neutralising threats from terrorists to persons, places, buildings or installations, the rescue of hostages, apprehension of high-value terrorists and other unforeseen situations requiring commando operations of specialised nature in urban areas, the order said.
Sources said the new commando wing had been formed to avoid the deployment of cops for VIP duty, which leads to a shortage of officers for law and order duties. Usually, such commando forces are formed in states which have Maoist threats. The new force will be effectively used for the security of VIPs, including the chief minister and union ministers visiting the state, they said.