The Chinese People's Armed Police Force (PAP) in Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region has recently conducted extreme counter-terrorist training on the plateau at an altitude of 4,000 meters above sea level, with experts saying such training attends to China's need in safeguarding border security.
Footage from China Central Television (CCTV) on Sunday showed 12 special combat soldiers completing the drill of arresting mock terrorists within eight hours amid a complex operational environment, including highways, caves, cliffs and jungle.
"Due to its special geographical location, Tibet is a preferential choice of terrorist forces, like the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, Taliban, Al Qaeda and ISIS, to penetrate China," Song Zhongping, a military expert, told the Global Times on Monday.
The strengthening of anti-terrorism forces in the region will help China respond to such threats, Song said.
The soldiers used different tactics and various weapons in accordance with the specific condition of individual drills.
They chose to climb over a cliff to outflank the targets instead of a direct raid during an attack against enemies hiding in caves, reported CCTV.
A PAP official in Tibet told the CCTV that the soldiers completed the drills within a range of nearly 100 kilometers without any supply and support.
"Anti-terrorist actions in Tibet face harsh conditions, such as thin air, high altitudes and freezing temperatures, which are challenging for the soldiers and weaponry. Such extreme training will help counter-terrorists adapt to the environment and develop various tactics to improve their combat capability," Song added.
