An Israeli intelligence unit is all set to quietly slip into India on March 3 to conduct the first field security surveillance course for Army Military Intelligence sleuths. This is part of the ongoing defence cooperation between India and Israel.While South Block officials are tight-lipped about the issue, sources say the course will be conducted at the Military Intelligence School, Pune and will run for a couple of weeks. It is understood that a list of Indian Army officers from the Intelligence Corps has already been drawn up. Officers have been chosen from the Military Intelligence’s Field Liaison Units in J-K as well as the North-East.The course has been designed to look at methods of intelligence gathering in insurgency-affected areas, in keeping with the challenges that Israel has faced. The Israeli experts have been drawn from the external (Mossad) as well as internal (Shin Bet) intelligence agencies, sources said. Our own Military Intelligence is keep to pick up tips on gathering human intelligence as well as receive training on technical intelligence using recently procured Israeli surveillance equipment.It is learnt that Military Intelligence is looking at developing expertise in gathering ‘‘actionable human intelligence’’ in areas where probable sources are under threat from terrorists. This, said South Block sources, has been a hurdle in intelligence gathering in Kashmir as well as the North-East and capsules have been designed to cater to this need.
