NSG: Easy target, tough foe

It was pitch dark, they didn’t have a clue about Akshardham’s lay-out or the number of terrorists holed up. The odds were stacked ...

It was pitch dark, they didn’t have a clue about Akshardham’s lay-out or the number of terrorists holed up. The odds were stacked heavily against NSG commandoes when they reached the temple but they were raring to go.

Their spirit was best exemplified by Commando N Ravi. Taken to Gandhinagar Civil Hospital to have the bullet removed, he returned immediately after. He got his reward; he was one of the two commandoes to fire at the terrorists, killing them. ‘‘It’s my duty and I did not do anything beyond that,’’ he said.

It’s a line echoed by colleagues. ‘‘I was near a terrorist when my colleague shouted ‘Sir, they are four meters ahead of you.’ I stepped back, but the bullet grazed my lips,’’ said Tushar. But he continued with the operation.

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Naik Virendra Kumar, being treated at the hospital for a leg wound, said, ‘‘We were easy targets as they had the cover of darkness while we were visible.’’

Speaking 45 minutes after being hit, Kumar said: ‘‘It’s broad daylight now and I’m sure the operation will be over soon. We will see them and we are well-equipped.’’

Chief Raj Seethapathy agreed: ‘‘As we could be sighted, we were an easy target. I saw a body lying right near the main temple and went to retrieve it, to find that it was a police commando. That was when terrorists fired at me.

“That gave an indication that they were holed up to the right of the main entrance — Gate No 1,’’ he said. ‘‘Then the operation began, and they had a good quantity of hand grenades and cartridges which helped them to keep us engaged.’’

Five commandoes died in the operation.

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