Vijay Mohan, Service,Chandigarh, January 17

A fortnight after the terror strike at the Pathankot Air Force Station left seven personnel dead, the armed forces and para-military bodies have evolved several measures to augment security of important installations.An exercise, Paridi Suraksha (perimeter security) has been launched by the Western Command Headquarters,responsible for the defence of Punjab and Jammu regions, that aims at conducting the security audit of sensitive areas, strengthening inter-agency coordination and refining operating procedures.“Commanders on ground have been told to go beyond just perimeter security of installations and actively liaise with the local police, intelligence and civil administration. The need is to be pre-emptive instead of being reactive,” a senior officer said.“We are also refining our joint response mechanism that involves the Army, Air Force, intelligence agencies and para-military forces,” he added.While the Border Security Force (BSF) is expected to increase its presence on the IB, the Army is strengthening its training grid in the vulnerable Pathankot-Jammu area. More focus is being laid on the use of sensors and surveillance equipment along the border and monitoring of radio signals and cyberspace. “It is not just this sector alone. We have assets along the entire border and these have been brought within the ambit of the security audit,” the officer said.The Defence Security Corps (DSC), which came under the scanner during the Pathankot incident, is also an important part of the review exercise. “The DSC is an important stakeholder in providing security and their command and control mechanism is being closely looked at and plans are being worked up to empower it for becoming more effective,” the officer said.A series of brain-storming sessions are being held at all levels across the command hierarchy, with senior commanders making on-ground assessments and junior officers visiting headquarters for deliberations and devising “innovative” security measures.