Hamas attack on Indian intel's radar: NSG chief

New Delhi: National Security Guard (NSG) director general MA Ganapathy said on Thursday that anti-terrorism professionals must examine the unprecedented attacks in Israel. He said it could never have been envisaged that terrorists could get under the radar of extremely sophisticated technological infrastructure and perpetrate the ghastly act on such a scale and proportion.

He was speaking at the NSG raising day seminar with state special forces organised at DRDO Bhawan in New Delhi. The two-day seminar, focusing on 'Sub-conventional threats: challenges and prospects for definite and enduring solutions', will conclude on Friday.

Ganapathy outlined two key lessons for all anti-terrorism professionals participating in the seminar, underscoring the importance of recognising that, ultimately, it is the combination of the human element and weaponry that makes the decisive difference in counterterrorism efforts.


"We need to have a framework of crisis management response at the national level for extreme terrorist scenarios. And two, that the reliance on technology, while very imperative, has to be complemented by highly skilled personnel who are at the pinnacle of the craft. We all need to constantly invest in skill upgradation of our personnel who are the ultimate redeemers in a terror response mechanism," he said. "We should always remember this lesson that ultimately it's the man and the weapon which makes the final difference."

The NSG director general further said the intelligence agencies have the ever-present challenge of being one step ahead of the intentions and activities of terrorist groups, which continue to evolve as a result of support rendered externally or internally through an array of networks, technological exploitation and opaque funding methods.

To comprehensively understand the entire spectrum of terrorist networks and chalk out future operational and training strategies, it is necessary for all the stakeholders to come together and respond collectively in a coordinated and synergised manner, said Ganapathy.