SECURITY agencies and emergency forces on Monday were put through their paces in the nation's largest anti-terror drill, modelled closely after the Mumbai terror attacks last year.
The exercise, codenamed Northstar VII, involved more than 2,000 participants from 15 agencies including the Home Team and Singapore Armed Forces.
The exercise covers 10 incidents, from rampages at a train station, shopping mall and a hotel, and thwarting sea threats.
Popular watering hole Cafe Del Mar on Siloso Beach was the scene on Day One of the drill on Monday morning. It was stormed by three unidentified gunmen who sprayed partygoers with bullets, leaving 10 killed and 20 others injured.
This set off series of responses from the officials who demonstrated how they would respond in a real-life attack.
The aim: to test the readiness of the officers who would usually arrive first at the scene of such emergencies.
' We also want to assure the public that we are ready to deal with such situations should it happen,' said the police's assistant director of operations planning Devrajan Bala.
Police officers, who arrived on the scene within 10 minutes of the 'attack', immediately threw a security ring around the 'carnage'.
Rescuers from the Singapore Civil Defence Force and the Singapore Armed Forces meanwhile carried or stretchered out 'casualties' to safety.
Gun-toting officers from the police's Special Operations Command also combed the Siloso shoreline to snuff out further threats.
Forensic officers from the Criminal Investigation Department followed soon after, gathering evidence to piece together what might have happened.
