Codenamed “Bravelight”, the drill began with extremists storming the terminal, sparking a gunfight, casualty treatment and a bomb disposal operation using robots. The Fire Services Department and the Hospital Authority set up a triage zone to handle large numbers of casualties, while police, customs and immigration officers screened evacuees, uncovering forged documents.
The action then moved offshore, where marine police intercepted a speedboat and rescued around 20 hostages from a passenger vessel, with support from helicopters, divers and fireboats. A critically injured victim was airlifted to hospital. The drill ended with a convoy of government vessels, showcasing Hong Kong’s joint counter-terrorism capabilities.
Speaking to the media after the drill, senior superintendent at the Inter-departmental Counter Terrorism Unit Peter Leung said the exercise involved hundreds of personnel across multiple departments, and also showcased new equipment and technology.
He noted that it was the first large-scale inter-departmental counter-terrorism drill since the “Three-tier Prevention Framework” was introduced in the Chief Executive John Lee’s Policy Address last year, and the first time the exercise was broadcast live on television.
“This exercise tested our communication and coordination capabilities across different departments in a terrorist attack scenario. We also invited nearly 200 members of the public from various sectors and age groups. Through their participation and engagement we have enhanced counter-terrorism awareness and preparedness in the community,” he said.
He explained why the cruise terminal was chosen to host the drill.
“If a critical infrastructure in Hong Kong was attacked by terrorists or extremists, it would seriously damage our economy and public confidence in the government and society. One of our main objectives is to choose a critical infrastructure site to test our counter-terrorism preparedness,” he said.
The exercise involved the Customs and Excise Department, Correctional Services Department, Fire Services Department, Government Flying Service, police and Immigration Department, as well as the Government Laboratory, the Hospital Authority, the Marine Department, and the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal operator.
