Intelligence officials, soldiers, police officers, and emergency services are taking part in a major counter-terrorism exercise in London.
The exercise, code-named ‘Strong Tower’, involves thousands of people and dozens of locations around the capital, and will last until Wednesday afternoon.
Officers have been briefing local communities and businesses on the exercise and what they may see and hear.
The exercise comes days after 38 people, including up to 30 Britons, were killed in a terror attack on a beach in Tunisia. However, Scotland Yard said that it has been planning the exercise for the last six months, and the timing has no relation to the recent attack.
The operation will test how senior decision makers manage the impact of a terror incident and implement a fast-paced counter-terrorism investigation. It is part of the Government’s regular National Counter Terrorism Programme of exercises and has been developed jointly by the Metropolitan Police Service and the Home Office.
On Tuesday, the tactical response on the ground will be visible to members of the public outside the disused Aldwych underground station in central London. Surrey Street will be closed to traffic for the day.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Maxine de Brunner, who is the Exercise Director, said:
“Testing and exercising is a really important way to ensure that our plans to respond to a major incident or terrorist attack are as good as they can be. We put huge effort into our planning and want to test how we all work together.
“The exercise scenario will test our tactical response including working with our emergency services partners, containing the situation, evacuating the injured and managing a crime scene.
“We’ve carefully planned the live play elements of this exercise to make sure that any disruption to the public is kept to a minimum.”
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Maxine de Brunner added:
“Sadly, London is no stranger to terrorism. Given the changing nature of the very real terrorism threat and events around the world we need to constantly adapt our plans and prepare for new or emerging threats.
“What is vitally important to all the agencies involved, who work together everyday, and to Londoners is that when the worst happens we are prepared to be the very best we can. We have sound plans and highly dedicated, brave staff that Londoners can be confident in.”
Scotland Yard will be posting updates about the exercise to Twitter, using the hashtag #999exercise.
Emergency services and intelligence officials test their terrorism responses in a fake Tunisia style shooting @LBC https://t.co/yXV80aYi8y
— Charlotte Gay (@CharlotteGay92) June 30, 2015
