CHINA: Beijing's police and paramilitary hold anti-terror drill highlighting their hostage rescue capacity

Record ID: 351919

  • Title: CHINA: Beijing's police and paramilitary hold anti-terror drill highlighting their hostage rescue capacity
  • Date: 24th September 2010
  • Summary: BEIJING, CHINA (SEPTEMBER 23, 2010) (REUTERS) COUNTER-TERRORISM DRILL SITE SNOW LEOPARD PARAMILITARY POLICEMEN SQUATTING AND HOLDING PISTOLS OUTSIDE BUILDING SNOW LEOPARD PARAMILITARY POLICEMAN SQUATTING BESIDES TANKS VAN CARRYING BEIJING SWAT POLICEMEN ARRIVING AT AND BREAKING INTO BUILDING SNOW LEOPARD PARAMILITARY POLICEMEN STANDING AND HOLDING WEAPONS BESIDES COLO
  • Embargoed: 9th October 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Defence / Military
  • Reuters ID: LVA85BEWQB5AOBOGHIGB9QCA2H2F
  • Story Text: China's paramilitary holds a counter-terrorism drill in Beijing highlighting hostage rescue, exactly a month after eight Hong Kong citizens were killed in a failed hostage rescue attempt in the Philippines.
    China held an anti-terrorism drill on Thursday (September 23), highlighting the country's Armed Forces' ability to cope with a hostage taking situation, exactly one month after eight Hong Kong tourists were killed in Manila's hostage crisis.
    Policemen from the Beijing SWAT Unit and paramilitary policemen from the Snow Leopard Commando Unit participated in the joint drill, which was attended by military attaches from foreign embassies in Beijing.
    The exercise included a scene in which terrorists hijacked a bus and held a number of people hostage, in similar conditions to the Philippines hostage tragedy that left eight Hong Kong tourists dead on August 23.
    China had criticised the handling of the situation, which Philippines police admitted to botching.
    Beijing SWAT Unit and Snow Leopard Commando Unit took less than eight minutes to demonstrate the right way to break into the hijacked bus, gun down the criminals, and rescue the hostages.
    "This counter-terrorism drill was targeted at anti-hostage taking. We have prepared our police crew, equipment and vehicles for any possible emergency. We can safely say that Beijing is capable of dealing with such a hostage-taking incident and guarantee everybody's safety," said Liu Gensheng (pron: lyo geng-sheng), spokesperson for Beijing Municipal Security Bureau.
    Apart from the hostage rescue mission, the two special force units also exhibited combat skills, shooting, searching, making arrests, removing explosives, helicopter reinforcement and tactical coordination.
    "We want to demonstrate the Special Forces' strong confidence and resolute determination in beating violent terrorist crime and maintaining social stability for the general public and international community," he said.
    Beijing's SWAT forces were established in 2005 as a branch of the Special Forces dealing with hi-tech weaponry and overseeing terrorist attacks and civil unrest such as violent ethnic rioting in Urumqi, Xinjiang (pron: sin-jeeang) Autonomous Region, in July 2009.
    They have also played a role in ensuring security in the capital for large events such as the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the massive parade for the 60th anniversary of the establishment of People's Republic of China last October 1.
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