Coast guard conducts anti terror and mock hostage exercise along Bengal coastline
Times of India | 27 September 2024
KOLKATA: The Indian Coast Guard conducted a security exercise across the Bengal coastline to test the forece's prepedness to handle multiple terror activities.
Named Sagar Kavach, the two days security exercise was conducted on Wednesday and Thursday (Sept 25-26), the coastal security SOPs were validated through series of drills conducted across the 158 km of coastline.
As an important component of the exercise, mock maritime hostage situation like hijacking of fishing boats for landing of terrorists, smuggling of contraband, hijacking of ship, planting of IEDs and attacks on vital assets and vital points along the coast of Bengal were conducted.
The exercise was coordinated by Commander Coast Guard(NE) and the State Coastal Security Operation Center (SCSOC) at Headquarters Coast Guard District no - 8, Haldia was the nerve centre for the exercise.
Besides active sea and river patrolling by Coast Guard, Navy, Police, CISF, BSF and Customs boats, coastal patrolling by district police, fishermen watch group at various places was also activated to act as ‘Eyes and Ears’ for security forces.
Special operations conducted during the exercise included operations by CISF and QRTs of Coast Guard and Police. The exercise also witnessed Sea and Air coordinated surveillance by Coast Guard & Naval ships.
West Bengal has large maritime assets along its 158 km coastline, which include 3.3 lakh fishermen operating over 16000 fishing boats, two major ports, several river ports and jetties and large number of coastal industries.
"Being a maritime border state with unique riverine geography, the entire coastline is porous and poses a major challenge for security agencies. Therefore, coordination is very important amongst all forces for the seaward security of the state. To address this issue and to validate coastal security mechanism, the mandate was issued by Central and State governments for conducting the exercise jointly so that coordination is maintained amongst all the security forces working under the central and state governments on issues related with coastal security," said an ICG official