The Emergency Unit of New Territories North (EU NTN) conducted a counter- terrorism (CT) workshop and a CT exercise in November to enhance officers’ knowledge and capabilities in dealing with terrorist incidents.

The workshop was held under "Project GRIZZLY" on November 21. Nineteen frontline commanders, at ranks from Sergeant to Senior Inspector, from four NTN Districts, the Police Tactical Unit (PTU) of NTN, the Quick Reaction Force (QRF) and the Regional Command and Control Centre of New Territories (RCCC NT) attended the workshop. The training covered the trend of terrorist attacks, the Force’s CT strategies, CT command structures, the handling of hostage incidents and the concept of immediate tactical intervention. The participants put the knowledge into practice in tabletop and practical exercises afterwards.

On November 24, over 210 officers from various Force units took part in a large-scale CT exercise, codenamed "STORMSHIELD", at Muk Wu Raw Water Pumping Station. Some simulated terrorists attacked the security guards of the pumping station in an attempt to pour toxic chemicals to the water conveyed from the Mainland. EU NTN officers swiftly arrived at the scene to tackle the situation. They exchanged gunfire with the terrorists. Some employees of the pumping station were held hostage. Officers of Border District, the Counter Terrorism Response Unit (CTRU) and the Police Negotiation Cadre were summoned to tackle the incident. The terrorists detonated a grenade amid the negotiation, and threw a backpack suspected of containing explosives, forcing the officers to retreat. Owing to the proximity of the suspected explosives to the Man Kam To Boundary Control Point, Traffic NTN officers implemented road closure and traffic diversion arrangements. As several hostages tried to escape, the terrorists started killing the hostages. CTRU and EU NTN officers made immediate tactical intervention, rescued the hostages and subdued some of the terrorists. The officers screened the evacuees and arrested the remaining terrorists. Other participants of the exercise included officers from the Operations Wing of NTN, RCCC NT, PTU NTN and QRF.

NTN Region will continue to organise workshops and exercises to raise CT awareness of officers and strengthen their ability to command, co-ordinate and respond in terrorist incidents.