This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.
Wednesday 02 Dec 2015 - 11:09 Makkah mean time-20-2-1437
Image from Mail Online
London, (IINA) - More than 2,000 firearms officers from the London Metropolitan Police took part in a mock terror attack in the city on Tuesday, according to the Mail Online news.
Firearms trainers posed as terrorists armed with AK47s and bombs and simulated an attack on a shopping centre for officers to deal with.
The Met insisted that the exercise was part of an annual training programme, which had been set up months in advance of the Paris atrocities, and current debate over air strikes on Syria.
But last month's attacks in Paris, where suicide bombers and gunmen attacked the Bataclan theatre, a football stadium, restaurants and bars killing 130 and wounding 368, will have been on the minds of those taking part.
Scotland Yard confirmed that their police marksmen are now being trained to 'walk over' wounded victims and focus their attention on the gunmen in the event of a terrorist attack in Britain.
This means those who are severely wounded could face potentially life-threatening delays as they wait for treatment.
Police chiefs said the tactic was necessary to stop terrorists from taking even more lives.
Assistant Commissioner Patricia Gallan said, “Such a scenario would present officers with a challenging and tragic set of circumstances.”
AC Gallan also said, “The terror attacks in Mumbai in 2008 where 164 people died during 12 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks changed the way armed officers respond to such atrocities.”
'We are asking our officers to do a different thing for what they did previously and it's not about standing back – it's about going towards the threat,” She added.
'There may be casualties and in meeting that threat they will have to walk over casualties that might have been injured and wait until it is safe for someone else to go and help them.'
AC Gallan said the tactic was deployed by French counter-terrorism officers during the Paris attacks last month.
'It's something the French commander said was one of the most challenging situations to deal with, and would be one of the most challenging aspects for our officers,' she said.
'In asking them to go forward we are asking them not to give first aid to people that might be injured, and it might well be their colleagues as well.
'But the most important thing is to actually get to the threat and stop the killing of additional people and that's why we have to keep going forward and not tending those who are injured at the time.
'We would go as quickly as we can but as safely as we can. It is a tragic set of circumstances if it happens, but as quickly as possible we will get the ambulance service in.'
AC Gallan, who is in charge of specialist crime and operations at the Met, could not say how quickly the wounded would be treated because 'every single incident has been different to date'.
She added: 'We in London feel we have got the response ready for any terrorist incident. We very much hope that it won't happen, but we have been preparing for this since 2008 since the Mumbai attacks.
'Our officers are very well equipped, very well trained and we feel we able to meet the threat that's there. We have the equipment and the officers to deal with the threat.'
Yesterday's training session took place in a disused office block in central London.
Firearms officers were told that four terrorists - played by police - had stormed a shopping centre before they were sent into the building.
They had to 'walk over' casualties throughout the block as they searched every room and corridor to neutralize the terrorists and secure the premises.
Although it bore chilling similarities to the attacks in Paris, the scenario was actually written months ago. Force bosses monitor international events and incorporate relevant developments into training.
The number of armed patrols in London has been increased in the wake of the Paris attacks, and force bosses are considering how to get more officers trained.
'In light of Paris we still thought it would be appropriate to be open, to show what was happening and I hope it will reassure people that we are really committed to keeping the capital safe and mitigating the threat of terrorism,' AC Gallan concluded.
SM/IINA
|
No comments:
Post a Comment