CISF contingent guarding Pune’s airport to get bulletproof vehicles
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) contingent, which guards the Pune airport, will soon be getting state-of-the-art armoured vehicles that can fend of bullet and grenade attacks. This was revealed by sources in the CISF headquarters in New Delhi.
“There have been talks about providing armoured vehicles, called Mahindra Marksman, to the CISF personnel guarding the Pune airport.
The details would be clear within a couple of months. Though it is taking a little time, the personnel will get the vehicles soon,” a Delhi-based source told News Agency.
“The recent Pulwama attack had raised concerns about the safety of the security personnel. There also have been instances of terrorists targeting the forces by shooting or by lobbing grenades at them.
These vehicles will help the CISF contingent in many ways apart from providing security. They will also help in pursuing a target,” said the source.
Six such vehicles were made available for the CISF quick reaction team (QRT) at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport last month.
For almost two months now, security measures have been beefed up at various airports across the country, and these heightened measures are likely to continue.
An airport official said, “The CISF men, apart from guarding all parts of the terminal building, are patrolling the airport premises as well as the city side.
The security personnel have been asked to stay extra vigilant during frisking of passengers and checking hand baggage. Random luggage checks are taking place even before passengers proceed to the airline baggage scanning counters.”
“Recently, the alert men successfully caught a man trying to enter the airport with a fake ticket,” he added.
“Once these vehicles arrive, one can hope for better security, as they will act as deterrents. The decision on the number of vehicles will be taken soon,” the source said.
