'Terrorist attack' at mall, MRT station as part of emergency preparedness exercise

SINGAPORE - Gunshots and explosions were heard at Marina Bay Link Mall on Sunday morning as the police staged a terrorist attack as part of Exercise Heartbeat.

Get the full story from The Straits Times.

Here is the full statement from the Singapore Police Force:

EXERCISE HEARTBEAT 2014

Conclusion of Exercise on 26 October 2014

Exercise Heartbeat 2014, an emergency preparedness exercise held across two days from 26 October 2014 to 27 October 2014 was the sixth annual anti-terror exercise which involved members of the Safety & Security Watch Group (SSWG) and the Home Team agencies. The first day of the exercise has successfully concluded.

Since the inception of SSWG, the Home Team has forged strong community partnership with its members through multiple levels of engagement and collaboration. The joint response plan against terror threats were developed through this strong partnership to enhance community resilience and effectively prepare the members to deal with any form of threats.

The exercise, led by the Singapore Police Force (SPF), in collaboration with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), will be held at high transient population areas such as shopping centres and the public transport system. The exercise will see community partners take on active roles in aiding responding forces during crises.

Officers from participating SSWG members will assist to evacuate members of public away from the danger zones and Company Emergency Response Team (CERT) members will render first aid at the triage area. Through this collaboration, SSWG members, corporate partners and the Home Team will validate joint response plans to fortify readiness and coordination in times of emergency.

The first day of the exercise entails 2 simulated terror attack scenarios at various locations. The scenarios include simulated shooting rampages and an IED explosion. The first scenario involves a simulated terror swarm attack at Dhoby Ghaut MRT station while the second scenario involves a simulated gunman situation at MBLM, followed by an explosion at Downtown MRT station.

Ms Denise Phua, Mayor of Central Singapore CDC & Member of Parliament for Moulmein-Kallang GRC, was the Special Guest for the scenarios at MBLM & Downtown MRT Station. The exercise was also observed by key Home Team officers and SSWG members.