Bengaluru, 28 June

In a step towards strengthening national counter-terrorism preparedness, a joint mock drill was conducted on Saturday by the Garuda Force - the counter-terrorism task force of the Karnataka State Police and the 4/8 Gorkha Rifles of the Indian Army.

According to officials, the exercise, conducted under the command of the Trivandrum Brigade, took place at a high-security, undisclosed location in the Bengaluru region, maintaining strict confidentiality in line with security protocols.

"This marks the first time both forces have trained together under a unified operational umbrella. The drill was conducted as part of the Mutual Aid Scheme under the Garrison Commander of the Banaswadi Military Garrison and involved key stakeholders, including the State Police, Traffic Police, City SWAT, Bomb Disposal Team, Fire and Emergency Services and the District Medical Health Team," the Defence PRO said in a statement.

The objective was to synchronise, harmonise and synergise the multi-agency response to terror threats, particularly in complex urban scenarios, it said.

According to the statement, the exercise demonstrated a high level of coordination and mutual trust among the participating units. The integration of civil and military assets into a single, coherent response mechanism reflects a matured and proactive security doctrine, it said.