Dogs who sniffed out Bin Laden to help CISF track ‘fidayeen attackers’ in Delhi Metro, airport

Belgian Malinois dogs shot to international fame for assisting US Navy Seals in sniffing out Osama Bin Laden’s hideout in Pakistan. A special squad of dogs that had landed in Delhi in 2015 to sanitise and conduct anti-sabotage checks before US President Barack Obama’s visit included these dogs.

The Central Industrial Security Force’s (CISF) Delhi Metro unit plans to procure a squad of Belgian Malinois – the dog breed that earned fame for sniffing out Osama Bin Laden’s hideout in Pakistan’s Abbottabad in 2001, to track down suicide attackers.

A Belgian Malinois dog. These dogs were first deployed in the Kaziranga National Park for anti-poaching operations. (HT Photo)

The CISF will train these dogs to thwart possible ‘fidayeen (suicide) attacks’ both in the Delhi Metro network and the Indira Gandhi International airport. The CISF handles security at both these places.

Once in place, this will be the first such squad with any paramilitary force in the country to counter fidayeen attacks. These dogs were first deployed in the Kaziranga national park for anti-poaching operations.

The measure was initiated after repeated warnings from intelligence agencies about a possibility of such attacks in the two sensitive installations.

Senior CISF officers said they chose the breed particularly after the Labradors, German Shepherds and Cocker Spaniels with the force failed to detect ‘fidayeen attackers’ during dummy tests. The CISF’s metro unit presently has 63 dogs.

It was then they decided to raise a dedicated squad of dogs that will be trained to identify suicide attackers and pin them down, the officer said.

“Their sole purpose will be to guard, track and attack. Initially the force was apprehensive as these dogs are not people-friendly. Once inducted, they will be used only to pin down fidayeen attackers and not for general explosive detection work at metro stations or airports. Their handlers will undergo specialised training,” the officer said.

The force, however, is yet to decide on the number of Belgian Malinois it will purchase. The CISF had recently decided to raise its own SWAT (special weapons and tactics) team. These dogs are also expected to assist the elite SWAT unit once it is operational.

Malinois are used in detection or attacks in war-torn areas. A special squad of dogs that had landed in Delhi in 2015 to sanitise and conduct anti-sabotage checks before US President Barack Obama’s visit included Belgian Malinois dogs.

They also shot to international fame for assisting US Navy Seals in sniffing out Osama Bin Laden’s hideout in Pakistan.

Belgian Malinois are used in anti-poaching operations as well. They were first deployed in the Kaziranga national park in Assam in 2013. According to TRAFFIC India, more than 50 dogs are currently deployed across 17 states at wildlife poaching and trade hot spots.

“They are considered the best policing dogs,” Saket Badola, director of TRAFFIC-India, said. “They have better sniffing tendencies, they are more agile. Training these dogs is far easier. They are easy to maintain because their fur coat is not so thick.”

“German shepherds are also used but they have a thick coat of hair so they are not as suitable for hot and humid conditions,” Badola said.