Tokyo police have conducted large-scale drills to prepare for possible coordinated terrorist attacks in Tokyo in the run-up to the Ise-Shima Group of Seven Summit in May.
About 360 people including police officers and private citizens took part on Monday. The drills simulated attacks at a railway station and a busy shopping area. It’s the first time drills were conducted assuming simultaneous attacks at different locations.
The drill at Tokyo Station simulated the release of sarin nerve gas in a suicide bombing. Station employees instructed people to evacuate. Police officers in protective gear rescued the injured, and removed chemical substances.
A police unit located two terrorists among the evacuees by examining footage taken by nearby security cameras. They were taken into custody by a special riot police squad.
Another drill that simulated bombings in a busy shopping area was held at a Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department facility in Koto Ward. The attackers took hostages and fled by car.
The terrorist group holed up in a warehouse that was stormed by members of a special assault team. The members descended from a helicopter, threw in flash bombs and suppressed the terrorists in a shoot-out.
Superintendent-General Kiyotaka Takahashi observed the drills. He instructed the participants to be fully aware of possible coordinated terrorist attacks, and to enhance anti-terrorism capabilities through drills.
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From : NHK World / March 28, 2016
Link : http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20160328_26/
