NSG, Force One conduct mock security drill at Saibaba temple in Shirdi

Mumbai: The National Security Guard and Maharashtra Police's Force One commandos conducted a mock drill at the Saibaba temple premises in Shirdi to check security preparedness in the event of a terrorist attack, officials said on Thursday.

The exercise started at around 11 pm on Wednesday and went on till the early hours of Thursday at the famous temple, located at Shirdi in Ahilyanagar district, which attracts thousands of devotees everyday.

Considering a situation that 'terrorists' had entered the temple, the NSG commandos carrying modernised weapons entered the premises late Wednesday night, an official said. Personnel of the Force One, which is a specialised counter-terrorism commando unit, and local police personnel also took positions as part of the mock exercise to locate and neutralise the 'terrorists'.

Teams of the anti-terrorist cell, local disaster management unit, fire brigade, hospital and revenue personnel and other stakeholders also participated in the drill at the temple premises, the official said.

Besides preparedness of the commando forces and police teams, the coordination between all stakeholders and their response time was also analysed, the official said.

A large number of local residents gathered to witness the security drill.

Earlier a team of the NSG, comprising nearly 150 commandos, had conducted a mock security drill at a school and a college in Ahilyanagar, the official said.