NSG team leaves for the West Indies

NEW DELHI: Carrying weapons and modern communication equipment, a 16-member NSG team left for the West Indies on Monday for assisting the organisers of the Cricket World Cup to provide security to players, especially the Indian squad some members of which face threat from militant groups like Lashker-e-Taiba.

The team, which is also carrying bomb detection and disposal equipment, left for the Caribbean early on Monday, official sources said.

The NSG team was being deputed at the request of the Caribbean authorities for security assistance during the upcoming ICC-Cricket World Cup 2007.

Two senior security liaision officers would be joining the NSG team soon for coordinating and their deployment during the 48-day mega event.

Some players of the Indian cricket team have been facing threats from Pakistan-based Lashker-e-Taiba, official sources said.

This is the first ever time that crack commandos of NSG would provide security to the Indian cricket team and undertake the exercise outside the country for such an event.

The Indian cricket team led by Rahul Dravid, along with Coach Greg Chappel and BCCI officials, are already in the West Indies.