Haryana Police fast-tracks Anti-Terror Squad plan after Red Fort blast

CHANDIGARH: After the November 10 Red Fort blast that killed 15 people and the exposure of a Faridabad white-collar terror module linked to the attack, the Haryana Police has revived and fast-tracked its long-pending plan to set up an Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) focused on Islamic extremist factions and Khalistani separatist networks. The ATS will prioritise counter-terror operations across the National Capital Region (NCR), covering fourteen Haryana districts, including Gurugram, Faridabad, Sonepat and Jhajjar, areas repeatedly flagged in national security alerts. Sources said the dormant proposal has now been pushed into action. The planned ATS will be equipped with three integrated wings, intelligence gathering, complex investigations and field operations, modelled on other elite units in the country. Officials said the squad will concentrate on emerging threats from Islamic extremists, Khalistani outfits and nodes of left-wing extremism. Officials said the ATS marks a generational shift in the states counter-terror approach by integrating intelligence, investigation and operational capacity into a single, high-tech framework. The commandos at the ATS disposal will be trained for precision operations based on information from field and digital surveillance, said a senior police officer, highlighting the units tech-driven vision. A senior official said the ATS headquarters may be set up in Panchkula or Gurugram to ensure synergy with NCR-focused operations and proximity to national agencies. The unit will employ advanced surveillance tools and analytic systems to monitor both online and offline spaces for early signs of mobilisation. Each of the more than 150 police stations in NCR districts will assign a dedicated security agent for daily terror-intelligence collection under the direct supervision of a senior officer. Speaking to the TNIE , Haryana DGP O P Singh said, Our effort is to scan every layer, analogue and digital, for the earliest signs of mobilisation. We want to move from reactive policing to proactive, intelligence-led disruption of threats. ED arrests Al Falah University founder Jawad Ahmed Siddiqui in PMLA case amid Red Fort blast probe A critical plank of the ATS is its operational wing, a force of 500 commandos trained in advanced counter-terror tactics, urban warfare and critical incident management, Singh added, emphasising both manpower and modernisation in the proposed units effectiveness. He further said, Our mandate is early neutralisation of threats through layered intelligence, swift investigation and precise operations. Haryana will not be a soft target. ATS is not a one-time exercise but a continuous vigil. This squad will embody our long-term commitment to internal security and public trust. The ATS will work in coordination with central agencies and ATS units in Delhi, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. Terror knows no boundaries between states. Seamless sharing of actionable leads and synchronised interventions are essential to prevent catastrophic events, said another senior officer involved in the planning. The final plan is still being refined, though officials say the structure will draw from best practices across elite North Indian units. Currently, the Haryana CID handles intelligence gathering related to terrorist activity.