“The only pictures of police I saw had them armed with the FN/FAL, but those were not the “commandos” who actually went in and dug the terrorists out of the hotel. Those probably were armed with the local clone of the Israeli micro Tavor(sic), which comes in three different chamberings, 5.56x45, 5.56x30 (Indian catridge) and 9mm.”
I’m no expert but I thought some of the commandos (I think that’s what they were, there was such a profusion of different troops and cops it was hard to make out who was who) were using what looked like FNC assault rifles with perspex see-through magazines.
Those were SIG-551s in the hands of the Indian NSG forces. I was looking for a picture of an NSG commando with one, but couldn't find one quickly.
I didn't want to comment on the topic of the original article -- about whether an Indian railway cop with an Ishapore Enfield is 'poorly armed' compared to a jihadi with an AKM -- but I do get the point that the Indian NSG security force is deficient in capability for counter-terror operations.
I've seen lots of pics from the last week of these NSG guys firing their Hk machine pistols blindly and with one hand at some distant target. One video segment I saw appeared to show an NSG guy emptying his MP5A2 magazine wildly at a hotel wall across the street for the TV cameras.
India sure does like to show lots of pictures of their NSG training by breaking flaming boards with their hands 'karate-style', plunging their fists into piles of smoldering ashes, and jumping through hoops of flame while wearing judo gi. They seem to be very well trained in synchronized calisthenics as well.
I guess they've been surviving on a perception that they are tough as nails but with questionable counter-terror training.
