Anti-Terrorist Squad

Anti-Terrorist Squad may refer to:

Anti Terrorist Squad (India)

The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) is special Police Force in several states of India including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Bihar. In Maharashtra it is headed by senior IPS officer Vivek Phansalkar The Squad has stopped several terrorist attacks in the country.

In Maharashtra, it was started in 1990 by then Additional Commissioner of Mumbai Police Aftab Ahmed Khan popularly known as A.A.Khan. He was inspired by Los Angeles Police Department's Special Weapons & Tactics (SWAT) to take control over modern-day terrorism. After its formation in 1990, ATS's officers won 23 gallantry awards. The Anti Terrorism Squad was involved in the 26 November 2008 hostage rescue operations in multiple locations in Mumbai,Maharashtra including the 5 star hotels Taj and Oberoi Trident.

Termination and Reformation

This special unit was formed on December 1990 and helped reduce the crime rate in Mumbai by 70%. However, there were many human rights violations by this organization, from extreme means of torture to public shootings. After the most infamous shooting was the 1991 Lokhandwala Complex shootout, which occurred at Lokhandwala on 16 November 1991 and many more encounters, the organization was terminated in January 1993. The leader of this program, A.A-Khan, was transferred as the ICP Anti Naxalite division to Nagpur on 29 January 1993 following the termination of the program. One month later on 12 March 1993 the Bombay blasts occurred, and the crime rate has increased since then.