A joint anti-fidayeen security mock drill was conducted at the base camp of Mata Vaishno Devi cave shrine in Katra on Wednesday to assess the preparedness and coordination of security and emergency response agencies ahead of the Independence Day celebrations, officials said.The exercise was supervised by the SP and jointly conducted by Reasi district police with the Special Operations Group, CRPF and the Army medium regiment, with participation from health services and fire and emergency services, they said.
The drill simulated a terror-related security contingency at the venue and assessed the response of various agencies, including immediate mobilisation, cordoning and sanitisation of the area, neutralisation of the simulated threat, evacuation of civilians, casualty management and fire and emergency response, they added.

The exercise also tested the effectiveness of established standard operating procedures, communication channels and rapid response mechanisms, while identifying areas requiring further improvement, police said.

The drill focused on strengthening inter-agency coordination, communication, operational synergy and swift decision-making to ensure a coordinated response to any unforeseen security challenge during the Independence Day celebrations.

The Reasi district police reiterated its commitment to ensuring foolproof security arrangements, public safety and the peaceful conduct of Independence Day celebrations across the district.