This post is also available in: heעברית (Hebrew)

Strasbourg_manifestation_Charlie_Hebdo_11_janvier_2015-2As more and more countries in the west suffer terror threats and massive terror attacks, governments start to realize that defense measures must be taken, and not only in moral stands, but in action. National security services are preparing to face major attacks, mostly in large cities which are both heavely populated and represent the western agenda and morals.

As such, an anti-terror exercise drill was carried out in London yesterday (Tuesday), in order to evaluate the readiness of security services to a terror event that may take place. The simulation included police officers, emergency services, soldiers and intelligence officers, reports The Telegraph.

Arrests having to do with terror offences have been substantially on the rise in the past year in England but while the country is planning on dealing with the people arrested in court, the drill is meant to prepare for and deal with plans to commit terror attacks by some people or groups, should the country is unable to thwart the terror attack in advance.

Preperations for the drill have begun around six months ago and included details taken from analyzing past attacks, such at the one in Mumbai in 2008, but events such as the Charlie Hebdo shooting in Paris and the Hostage event in Sydney, which took place during preperations, were taken into account and affected the nature of the simulation.

The drill, which lasted two days, examins the response of different security services to a simulated attack on the tube station in Aldwych, which is no longer in use. The majority of police officers was not aware of the scenario’s details or what was planned in it, as only about a dozen people knew the exact details in advance.

The drill included all of London’s security services, Transport of London, Home Office, Cabinet Office, Ministry of Defence, the Department of Health and NHS England.