Punjab to set up elite force to tackle terror attacks

Chandigarh: The Punjab government will set up an elite force of the state police to tackle terror attacks, hijackings and other emergency situations, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal announced on Monday.

Badal, who also holds the Home portfolio, said that the elite force will comprise 250 Punjab Police personnel, who will be trained with the latest techniques, and equipped with the latest weaponry and gadgets.

"Punjab Police is the best police force in the entire country as it is courageous, strong willed and has highly educated personnel with a go getter attitude," he said, while addressing a function to mark the handing over of appointment letters to 768 police personnel, including 125 eminent sportspersons at various ranks.

He said that the state police force has been strengthened with the recruitment of nearly 26,000 personnel in the past eight years. The Punjab Police has a strength of over 70,000 personnel.

Badal, who also holds the Sports portfolio, on Monday handed over job letters to nine eminent sports persons of Punjab as DSPs (deputy superintendents of police) under the new sports policy.

Punjab has faced terror attacks from suspected Pakistani terrorists in Dinanagar (July 2015) in Gurdaspur district and the Pathankot airbase (January 2016).