Beijing holds anti-terror drill to avert Mumbai-like strikes
The Press Trust of India
BEIJING, China — Beijing's elite anti-terrorism police has staged an exercise to sharpen its preparedness against "carefully planned" Mumbai-like terrorist strikes and hostage-taking in the Chinese capital.
The mock exercise was conducted yesterday soon after Indian and Chinese forces held a counter-terrorism drill in Belgaum in Karnataka.
"Beijing armed police conducted an anti-terror drill to strengthen its preparedness against militant attacks like the one in Mumbai," Xinhua news agency reported, noting that it was aimed at rescuing kidnapped hostages at a city hotel.
Members of the Beijing Special Armed Police Unit (BSAPU) used a helicopter and ropes to get 10 metres down to the ground. They then shot targets of swaying eggs 15 metres away within 1.5 seconds to practice "killing" terrorists. After breaking through windows, police rescued the "hostages." "The drill was aimed at preventing terrorist attacks, especially after the Mumbai attack which had definite targets and careful plan. We noticed that the terrorists attacked different sites of the city in different ways such as explosions, shooting, kidnapping and a gunfight with the police," said Xiao Yong, the head of the unit.
"We have done thorough research on different kinds of attacks and made a complete and cohesive counter-terrorism plan," Xiao said.
Members of the BSAPU are carefully selected and specially trained. They are each armed with a wide array of weapons and equipment worth over USD 43,795.
China had sent a 137-member contingent of People's Liberation Army to take part in the second edition of an eight-day-long "Exercise Hand-in-Hand" in Belgaum, where the two sides trained jointly to act against terrorists.
Copyright 2008 The Press Trust of India
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