ITBP making arrangements for Home Minister Rajnath Singh's visit to Border

Home Minister Rajnath Singh will soon visit border areas of the country to learn about the existing ground realities.

Singh reportedly wants to visit the Indo-China border and has told this to the chief of the forces. The paramilitary has now been asked to make arrangements for Singh's visit to the border terrains.

As the Union minister is eager to visit Indo-China borders first, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), which guards India's borders with China, is making arrangements for Singh's visit to Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. ITBP guards Indo-China border from Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Diphu La in Arunachal Pradesh, a distance of 2,488 km.

Some terrains in the borders with China are said to be inaccessible, even aerially. Considering this, and keeping in view the recent aggressive moves by China in the border areas, the new Union government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims to improve road connectivity and other required infrastructure to strengthen the country's border security system.

Many posts in Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh border areas are said to be very remote. The forces walk for miles for about 10-21 days to reach some of these areas and have to battle with treacherous terrain in dense forests.

"The home minister can be flown to Ladakh and Leh but several parts of Arunachal Pradesh would be inaccessible even aerially. Also, rain is round the corner and navigating in such weather to the Arunachal is a difficult task," The Times of India quoted an ITBP officer.

The border police feel that Singh's visit to the difficult terrain will help the government understand how underdeveloped the area is and in what condition the forces guard the borders. There will be much scope to push infrastructure projects, especially roads, in the region.

The other key border area for India is on Bangladesh-side, which is currently safeguarded by the Border Security Force (BSF). Singh is said to be keen to visit the country's eastern borders with Bangladesh as the BJP-led NDA government has taken a tough stand against illegal immigration into India. The Home Minister is said to be concentrating on these illegal straying of Bangladeshi citizens.

BSF hopes that the Minister's visit to Indo-Bangladesh borders will help the government take a clear stand on the land boundary agreement and border fencing with the neighboring country.

ITBP will train Royal Bhutan Police dogs

As a goodwill gesture, India has decided to train five special sniffer dogs for the Royal Bhutan Police at the famed canine training centre of paramilitary force ITBP.

Officials said the Chandigarh-based dog training centre of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police will train five sniffer and tracker dogs for the police force of that country after a request was made by the authorities in this regard.

The ITBP dog training centre has been declared as the centre of excellence in this domain. The dog breeds, which will be trained to aid police personnel in counter-narcotics and anti-sabotage tasks in Bhutan, will be drawn from the local Labrador and German Shepherd breeds and they will form the first elite squad of sniffer dogs for the Royal Bhutan police trained for specific tasks, a senior official said.

This is the first time that any Indian police dog training centre has been entrusted with such a job which involves diplomatic relations. The entire exercise is a goodwill gesture for the neighbours and there are no costs involved, the official said.

The dogs are expected to be trained for about 2-3 months and then they would be handed over to the authorities of the Royal Bhutan Police. The ITBP is credited with having successfully introduced the first-ever breed of 'Malinois' dogs to assist troops during patrolling in Naxal-affected states of the country.

The credibility of the ITBP dog squad can be gauged from the fact that they were specially called in recently by security agencies to sanitise the swearing-in ceremony venue of the new cabinet at Rashtrapati Bhavan forecourt and also to sweep the hotels and venues where leaders from SAARC countries were staying prior to meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The ITBP is mandated to secure the 3,488-km long Sino-Indian frontier.

Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/india/itbp-to-train-royal-bhutan-police-dogs-1558173.html?utm_source=ref_article

Read more at: http://www.firstpost.com/india/itbp-to-train-royal-bhutan-police-dogs-1558173.html?utm_source=ref_article

Afghan President Hamid Karzai lauded the Indo-Tibetan Border Police

NEW DELHI: Even as India has stopped short of blaming any Pakistan-based terrorist group for the attack on its consulate in Heart last Friday, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai has blamed the Lashkar-e-Taiba for the strike that was foiled by Afghan security forces and Indian paramilitary forces. Karzai, who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Tuesday, claimed that the Afghanistan government had received information from a Western intelligence agency that the attackers belonged to the LeT.

This is not first time that the LeT has been blamed for an attack on the Indian Embassy or consulates in Afghanistan. The Afghanistan President did not name the agency, which gave a written report to the Afghanistan government in this regard. Besides, Karzai, whose comments came at a time when Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was still in India, did not blame Pakistan directly for the attack in Herat last Friday. Karzai shared the information with a select section of the media on Tuesday before leaving for Kabul. He was in India to participate in Modi's swearing-in ceremony held on the previous evening.

The outgoing Afghan President also lauded the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel and the Afghan National Security Forces for their response. "Herat attack was very clearly a terror strike against Indian and Afghan interests. The Indian and Afghan security forces were alert and they prevented major damage to life and property," Karzai said. While he did not specify whether he had shared the information with Modi, he is understood to have shared information with the Indian authorities.

Asked whether India and Afghanistan were victims of cross-border terror emanating from Pakistan, Karzai said, "Both Afghanistan and India hope that Islamabad would act against terror sanctuary." Pointing out that India has been a great friend of Afghanistan for decades, Karzai said, "We have given a weapons wish list to the Indian government. Some equipment has been supplied and the remaining will hopefully be done." India has worked out a deal with close ally Russia to supply arms as desired by Afghanistan. Responding to a question on whether a Taliban government could return to Kabul, Karzai said, "All powers in the region need to come together to defeat terror."

Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/35644252.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

Unprecedented security for Modi's swearing-in ceremony

In what is being labelled as an extra-ordinary security set-up, more than 6000 security personnel from Delhi Police, para-military, national security guards (NSG) and armed forces will stand guard on May 26 when PM-designate Narendra Modi will take the oath in presence of around 3000 dignitaries.

Visiting heads of government will be guarded as per their individual threat assessment with the highest security cover to be thrown around Nawaj Sharif, Hamid Karzai and Mahindra Rajpaksa.

The security establishment is leaving no stone upturned as the threat assessment for this ceremony is far more than even a summit where such dignitaries usually assemble. There were initial apprehensions among the intelligence agencies about an open-air ceremony. As invitees include foreign dignitaries and diplomats, the arrangements have been tailored to take care of all related security concerns.

Central intelligence agencies have informed Delhi Police about possible attempts by the terrorist groups to disrupt the ceremony and security agencies of respective countries are working in tandem with the Indian intelligence to provide adept security cover to the guests. The security personnel of eight visiting countries - Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Mauritius, Bhutan and Afghanistan - would also coordinate with Delhi Police the personal security of their dignitaries.

The security unit of Delhi Police and the prime minister's security unit have drawn out a multi-layer security plan and sources said a policeman will be deployed every twenty meters on Monday.

Roads by which the foreign dignitaries' carcade will move to the Rashtrapati Bhavan and back will be closed 10 minutes in advance. Raisina Hill will be cordoned off Vijay Path onwards. North Block and South Block offices will be shut at 1 pm and secured by Central para-military troops.

Metro stations at Central Secretariat and Udyog Bhavan, however, will not be closed to prevent crowds from building up.

The area in two-kilometer radius around Rashtrapati Bhawan will be secured from ground to air by an air defense system. Apart from para-military and special cell's commandos, mobile Quick Response Teams, anti-aircraft weapons and NSG commandos will be stationed at strategic locations. The anti-aircraft guns will also be in position at Rashtrapati Bhavan, even as the airspace above will be closed and secured by IAF. Sources say that anti-sabotage checks at RP Bhawan, five hotels in Lutyens Zone - Maurya Sheraton, Taj Mansingh, Taj Palace, Leela Palace and Oberoi have already been put in place, which will be repeated four-five times till Monday evening. Most of the guests out of 3000 invites including Head of States (HOSs) and their representatives would be staying at these hotels.

While 5 best sniffer dogs have been asked form Delhi Police, the other forces have also chipped in their best canines. The bomb disposal squads of NSG and other units have been readied with the Delhi police's squads being in reserve.

The special branch has also scanned the identity of people who have stayed in these hotels in May and identity cards of hotels staff, people used for catering, security and logistical RP Bhawan would be prepared by Delhi Police after proper verification.

The area around these hotels and the road leading from there to Rashtrapati Bhawan will be sanitized on Sunday. Enhanced security checks and extra police pickets and barricades will be enforced from Saturday night, sources said.

SWAT teams of the special cell have also been asked to be ready to combat any situation while their spotters have been deployed at secret locations which are high-rises like hotels and buildings in central Delhi.

From Gujarat Bhawan, where Narendra Modi is staying, to Rashtrapati Bhawan, special arrangements for security on the route have also been made. Modi may reach President House surrounded with a contingent of cars.

Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/lok-sabha-elections-2014/news/Unprecedented-security-for-Modis-swearing-in-ceremony/articleshow/35530401.cms

ITBP steps up vigil in Afghan missions

The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has stepped vigil at the Indian diplomatic missions in Afghanistan where it has been deployed following the terrorist attack on Herat consulate early Friday morning.

Senior ITBP officials said a high alert has already been sounded at the Indian Embassy in Kabul and consulates in Jalalabad, Mazar-e-Sharif, Kandahar and Herat.

All the four terrorists, who targeted the facility in Herat, were killed. Officials said one of the terrorists was killed by ITBP personnel while the others were neutralised by Afghan forces.

All Indian diplomatic staff is safe, they said. The ITBP, which renders perimeter security and access control duties at Indian installations besides being also trained to undertake special rescue and VIP security duties, had deployed an additional 79 commandos in Afghanistan in the past six months in addition to the 219 commandos already deployed there. Twenty-three personnel were deployed at the Herat facility.

The force had deployed more personnel after analysing the security situation in the country and the need for enhancing security at Indian installations.

A senior security official said a decision to increase the deployment was taken last year following the August 3 suicide bomb attack near the main consulate complex in Jalalabad, which killed 12 civilians. Sources said there was no weakness in the intelligence-sharing mechanism.

A security analysis done in the recent past showed that the Indian assets in Afghanistan were facing threats from not only al- Qaeda and the Pakistan-based Haqqani network, but also from smaller militant groups based in Pakistan.

Security officials are not discounting the possibility of terror networks trying to send a signal to India at a time that a new government under Narendra Modi is being sworn in.

Source: http://www.deccanherald.com/content/409193/itbp-steps-up-vigil-afghan.html