The UK on Tuesday undertook the largest counter-terrorism exercise in the history of the British capital, involving more than 1,000 police officers to test the city’s response in the event of a Tunisia-style terror attack.
Police officers, soldiers, emergency services and intelligence officials are taking part in the exercise, which has been six months in the planning.
The <g data-gr-id="13" data-style="display: inline; color: inherit !important; font-size: inherit !important; -webkit-background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAA+gAAAACCAYAAADLlPadAAAABmJLR0QA/wD/AP+gvaeTAAAAKklEQVRYhe3OQQEAIAgEsMM6xrMb9SQGny3B6vb7AQAAAFad7QAAAACQDAGHAlfrnYEmAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC), url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAACCAYAAACZgbYnAAAABmJLR0QA/wD/AP+gvaeTAAAAEklEQVQImWNY/ejYfyYGBgYGABiLA1VQQvxSAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); background-size: 0px 2px, 100% 2px; background-position: 200% 100%, 0px 100%; background-repeat: no-repeat, no-repeat;">exercise,</g> codenamed Strong Tower, involves 1,000 police officers at locations across the UK capital until tomorrow afternoon.
Strong Tower comes days after 38 people were killed by a gunman in Tunisia, the majority of them British holidaymakers.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said it would test responses to extremists using firearms. He said the threat level for terrorism had been raised over the last year, making it vital “that we train and we learn.”