ID :
12114
Fri, 07/11/2008 - 09:57
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http://m.oananews.org//node/12114
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KGB had foiled bid on Gorbachev's life during his India trip'
Moscow, Jul 11 (PTI) Indian security services helped the Soviet intelligence agency K.G.B. in foiling an assassination attempt on Mikhail Gorbachav plotted by "Afghan terrorists" during his 1987 visit to New Delhi, a former bodyguard of theex-Communist state's leader has claimed.
"We had concrete information about a terror group sent into India across the Pakistani border with the aim to scuttle the visit of the Soviet leader," Chief of the bodyguards department of the K.G.B., Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Viktor Aleinikov, said in an interview to popular daily "Moskovsky Komsomolets"(M.K.).
It was quite a complex situation in India due to the 'Afghan syndrome' and presence of about one million Afghanrefugees in the country, Aleinikov recalled.
"After crossing into India from Pakistan the terror group was to reach Delhi and the 9th Main Department (bodyguards department of K.G.B.) approached the anti-terrorist 'Alfa' unit for help," Aleinikov said, adding that ten marksmen of K.G.B.'s 'Alfa' unit were dispatched to India to assistGorbachev's bodyguards.
"Naturally, we had informed the Indian special services about our plans to deploy marksmen at select spots with special equipment along the road linking Palam airport and Rashtrapati Bhavan and other places to be visited by Gorbachevincluding Ashoka Hotel.
"As a result we achieved the task of providing security cover of the visit and Afghan terrorists were detained by ourIndian colleagues," Aleinikov disclosed.
Due to the success of the Delhi operation, involvement of marksmen of the Alfa commando unit in security cover of the top Soviet leadership became customary after Gorbachev's India visit, according to Aleinikov. PTI VS
"We had concrete information about a terror group sent into India across the Pakistani border with the aim to scuttle the visit of the Soviet leader," Chief of the bodyguards department of the K.G.B., Maj. Gen. (Retd.) Viktor Aleinikov, said in an interview to popular daily "Moskovsky Komsomolets"(M.K.).
It was quite a complex situation in India due to the 'Afghan syndrome' and presence of about one million Afghanrefugees in the country, Aleinikov recalled.
"After crossing into India from Pakistan the terror group was to reach Delhi and the 9th Main Department (bodyguards department of K.G.B.) approached the anti-terrorist 'Alfa' unit for help," Aleinikov said, adding that ten marksmen of K.G.B.'s 'Alfa' unit were dispatched to India to assistGorbachev's bodyguards.
"Naturally, we had informed the Indian special services about our plans to deploy marksmen at select spots with special equipment along the road linking Palam airport and Rashtrapati Bhavan and other places to be visited by Gorbachevincluding Ashoka Hotel.
"As a result we achieved the task of providing security cover of the visit and Afghan terrorists were detained by ourIndian colleagues," Aleinikov disclosed.
Due to the success of the Delhi operation, involvement of marksmen of the Alfa commando unit in security cover of the top Soviet leadership became customary after Gorbachev's India visit, according to Aleinikov. PTI VS
