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The Inter-departmental Counter Terrorism Unit conducted a counter-terrorism exercise codenamed BRAVELIGHT at the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal on August 28. This was the first large-scale exercise conducted under the newly established Three-tier Prevention Framework, as announced in the Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address. The Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre was also activated during the exercise, which was overseen by the Chief Executive (CE) Mr John Lee, the Chief Secretary for Administration (CS) Mr Chan Kwok-ki, and the Secretary for Security (S for S) Mr Tang Ping-keung, thereby demonstrating the Government’s commitment to counter-terrorism initiatives.
The exercise simulated a scenario in which terrorists attempted to launch an attack upon arriving in Hong Kong via a cruise ship, staging a knife attack and shooting in the terminal lobby. Their accomplices subsequently took a passenger ship hostage, leading to a gunfight with the Police onboard.
About 500 officers from various government departments and units participated in the exercise. For the first time, it was broadcast live on television and online. Nearly 200 volunteers from various community and youth organisations across different sectors and age groups were invited to participate in the exercise. Participants took on different roles in the exercise, gaining firsthand experience in applying the “Run, Hide, Report” emergency response advisory to protect themselves and others in critical situations.
The Commissioner Chow Yat-ming expresses his heartfelt appreciation to all police counter-terrorism units for their professionalism. He hopes that each unit can consolidate the experience gained from this exercise to further strengthen contingency planning, enhance collaboration with all stakeholders and strengthen public education on counter-terrorism, thereby improving the overall counter-terrorism capabilities of the Government and the community.
