New Delhi:
Helicopters with armed commandos were on Monday pressed into service to ensure a ground-to-air security cover at and around the Commonwealth Games Village and the competition venues here.
Helicopters of Indian Army were seen hovering over the Games Village, which has a total build-up area of 63.5 hectare, at regular intervals.
Official sources said the helicopters have been deployed to bolster the entire security mechanism with troops of Delhi Police, paramilitary forces and the National Security Guard commandos handling the responsibility on the land.
The government has also decided to deploy three Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for Games security to carry out surveillance and keep vigil at regular intervals.
More than one lakh security personnel have been deployed for the Games including about 175 companies (17500 personnel) of paramilitary forces, 3000 commandos, 100 anti-sabotage teams, 200 dogs and 15 bomb disposal squads.
About 150 personnel of the Delhi Police's Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) have been trained by the Indian Air Force and the NSG to shoot down suspicious manned or unmanned "flying objects".
Seventy one countries and territories are participating in the event scheduled from October 3-14.
Delhi Police and central security agencies are striving hard to ensure a smooth Games, which is being hosted by the country for the first time.
The Games Village has been transformed into a fortress with over 1,000 security personnel, helped by a plethora of safety gadgets and armed commandos, guarding the premises on 24-hour basis.
Along the routes at different corners of the city, Quick Reaction Team (QRT) vehicles were parked with gun totting personnel keeping a close eye on the movement of traffic.
NSG snipers will also be positioned at different points at the venues and along the routes to thwart any sabotage attempt or probable terror attacks.