Aerial strikes Mumbai's next worry
Maharashtra's security establishment comes in for heavy criticism from committee
New Delhi: Mumbai is susceptible to airborne attacks by terrorists, who are becoming innovative in their methods and deeds, warns a government-appointed probe panel set up after the 26/11 terror strikes.
The R.D. Pradhan Committee, formed to probe individual and systematic lapses that led to the attacks and the manner in which the 60-hour siege was handled, has slammed Maharashtra state's security establishment for the "total confusion" in processing intelligence alerts about a possible attack.
The committee was formed after 10 heavily armed terrorists launched simultaneous multiple attacks in Mumbai last November that brought the state government to its knees.
The Maharashtra government last week tabled the report in the Nagpur session of the state assembly, but it has not been made public yet. The report points to non-adherence to the standard operating procedures during the November 26-29, 2008, terror siege. The assault claimed the lives of 166 people, including 26 foreigners, and injured 244 others.
"One should not overlook the possibility of airborne attacks on targets in the city in future," the report says in a bold and underlined paragraph in its final observations.
"With increasing use of helicopters by the government as well as non-official parties, one may conceive a helicopter being taken over," the panel warned.
Without saying if the threat was based on a specific intelligence input, the panel recommended that the matter be taken up for study and necessary aviation security measures worked out.
The committee appreciated the speed and urgency shown by the Mumbai police machinery in reacting to the attacks but pointed out that this was as "they usually respond to a law and order situation" and not to an attack by well-trained terrorists.
No training
The report said police had no training or experience to undertake a war-like operation and counter a sophisticated attack despite many actionable intelligence inputs about a seaborne terror strike.
It found "lack of intelligent appreciation of threats, handling of intelligence, maintaining high degree of efficiency and certainly lack of overt and visible leadership in carrying out operations to face multi-targeted attacks".
The report further said that reports from August 7, 2006, had indicated that the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant outfit was trying to infiltrate suicide squads into India by the sea route.
Pradhan Panel report
- Police lacked equipment and strategy and were not able to counter well-trained and fully-equipped terrorists.
- Mumbai's policemen had not been given regular firing practice since September 2007.
- There was lack of cohesion and communication in the internal working of then Mumbai Police Commissioner Hassan Gafoor's office.
- Gafoor should have taken the lead and handled the situation from the police control room rather than locating his operational control near Trident Hotel.
- Counter-terror operations lacked visible leadership.
- The structure of the anti-terrorist squad and its operations are in a confused state.
- There was serious lapse on the part of much of the individuals as of the system in place.
