Elite unit of the Armed Forces AFSOD begins operations

New Delhi, May 15: The Armed Forces Special Operations Division (AFSOD), the elite unit of commandos drawn from all the three armed forces has begun functioning. An Major General from the Army is its first commander and he would be in the rank of a General Officer Commanding.

The AFSOD will have special forces of the Army, Marine Commando and the Garuda Commando force. This decision would not only bring the three forces under a common command, but would also reduce costs of training, administration and logistics.

The new team would begin with a small team of commandos. It would have around 3,000 trained commandos who could carry out warfare in jungles, at seat and rescue helicopter operations. The teams would be responsible for carrying out operations which would include targeting strategic locations, crippling the war fighting capabilities of the enemy and also high value targets such as terrorists.

In December the government had approved the setting up of this unit. It had also approved the setting up of a Cyber Defence Agency to be headed by a Navy officer. Rear Admiral Mohit Gupta, it may be recalled was appointed as the first head of the DCA.