The seventh and latest regional hub of the elite “Black Cat” commando force, the National Security Guard (NSG), at Ayodhya is likely to start functioning at a preliminary level by the end of this year, sources aware of the development told The Tribune.The land for the hub has been allocated, and commando teams will be placed there by year-end, the sources added.On the occasion of the NSG’s 41st Raising Day celebrations at its headquarters in Manesar, Haryana, on October 14, 2025, Home Minister Amit Shah announced that the elite force’s new regional hub would be set up in Ayodhya.Sources said all coordination meetings with the Uttar Pradesh government have taken place and the feasibility of stationing personnel will begin in the next few months, enabling commando teams to be placed there by year-end.While a full hub will take time to develop, a makeshift facility—comprising barracks and shooting ranges—is likely to be ready by then, they added.The move marks a major expansion for the elite force, which handles counter-terrorism operations and high-risk security situations across the country.Speaking at last year’s Raising Day, Shah said the Ayodhya hub would be the seventh regional base, following those in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Gandhinagar. The NSG also maintains a smaller task force in Jammu.The decision to expand comes 16 years after the government operationalised the first four regional hubs in Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata on June 30 and July 1, 2009, following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. Those hubs were established to ensure NSG commandos could reach crisis zones faster, rather than being airlifted from Delhi.Raised in 1984, the NSG is regarded as a world-class, “zero-error” force capable of responding to terrorist threats with minimal delay. It draws personnel from the Indian Army and Central Armed Police Forces and is tasked with counter-terrorism, anti-hijack operations and VIP security.