NSG to be deployed in anti-terror operations in J&K soon

SRINAGAR: The elite National Security Guards, popularly known as 'Black Cats', are likely to be deployed soon in counter-militancy operations in Jammu and Kashmir which was placed under Governor's Rule on Wednesday, officials said.

They said a team of NSG has been stationed in the Kashmir Valley for quite some time and is undergoing rigorous training in the outskirts of the city.

The state was on Wednesday placed under governor's rule for the fourth time in the last one decade after the BJP withdrew support to its alliance partner, the PDP, prompting Mehbooba Mufti to resign as the chief minister. The decision for their deployment in counterterror operations was taken by the home ministry recently, and they will be put to use soon after their acclimatisation programme is over, the officials said.

The teams will be kept at the disposal of the Jammu and Kashmir police, which is the nodal agency for all anti-militancy operations, they added.

While the Union home ministry is upbeat about deploying the NSG in the Valley, counterterror experts feel that the black cats would be helpful in a situation where room-to-room intervention is required.