In the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris, operators of the Taipei Joint Bus System and the Taipei City Government’s Police Department on Friday next week are to stage an antiterrorism drill simulating an attack on the bus system, an operator said yesterday.
The drill is to include practice calming passengers, negotiating with terrorists and carrying out a counterterrorism raid, Metropolitan Transport Corp head Hung Tsang-lang (洪滄浪) said.
The aim is to train police and other personnel, and increase public awareness of possible terrorism, Hung said.
The drill is gaining extra attention amid fears that Taiwan could become a target of the Islamic State after the national flag appeared in a propaganda video made by the group.
The flag was among the banners of 60 other nations that appeared in the video and was displayed next to the US flag.
Awareness of antiterrorism measures in Taiwan was heightened after US President Barack Obama named Taiwan as part of an Asia-Pacific coalition against the Islamic State during the ASEAN East Asia summit in Kuala Lumpur on Nov. 22.
Hung said that bus companies in Taipei have regularly staged such drills over the past few years.
The preparatory work for this year’s drill started four months ago, prior to the terrorist attacks in Paris last month, Hung said.
The drill is set to be staged at a station in Neihu District (內湖), with the participation of about 60 people, including more than 20 special forces personnel.
Buses, firefighting vehicles, ambulances and police vehicles are to be deployed for the drill, Hung said.
Specialized weapons will be carried during the drill, Hung added.
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