LOC21:23
18:23 GMT
LONDON, April 14 (KUNA) -- Britain's anti-terrorism chief Wednesday said
armed officers needed high-powered weapons to combat Mumbai-style attacks.
Scotland Yard assistant commissioner John Yates said there was a need for
an "upskilling" within police forces to tackle ever changing threats.
Speaking at an anti-terror conference in central London, Yates referred to
the Mumbai massacre in 2008, when Islamic terrorists gunned down more than 200
people and injured 700.
The Taj and the Trident, two of the most famous hotels in India's financial
hub, were targeted as well as other buildings including a hospital and a cafe.
Yates said it was recognised that the majority of deaths in such atrocities
came within the "first hour", meaning a rapid response was required.
"The risk to the unarmed bobby on the street does mean upskilling to a
heavier ballistics weaponry and ammunition," he said.
"It's going to mean heavier ballistics weapons, heavier ballistic
ammunition.
"There has to be an understanding that in the first hour that there will be
a lot of challenges, a lot of dead people."
A Scotland Yard spokeswoman told reporters all armed vehicle response
officers had already been trained in the use of the Heckler and Koch G36
rifle. But she stressed it would only be used in extreme situations.
"The weapon that has been within the Specialist Firearms Command's
capability for some time will now be available to every armed vehicle response
team, but only deployed in specific circumstances based on a fast time
assessment of the risk the officers are facing," she said.
"The decision has been taken based on information and learning from
terrorist attacks around the world." (end).
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