This is one of the largest such campaigns ever carried out by us. There are 19 different agencies and offices involved. Huge anti-terrorist exercises at the Pyrzowice airport and the Silesian Stadium are intended to prepare the services for immediate and efficient action if necessary.
The Internal Security Agency learns that terrorists have hijacked a scheduled plane. The plane lands at the airport in Pyrzowice. This is the beginning of the CEPEX 2024 maneuver scenario.
– Terrorists have their demands. First, a team of negotiators was launched and carried out its activities. As for the assumption, because it was so, the negotiations ended in failure – reports the inspector. Radosław Kacprzak, Deputy Provincial Police Commander in Katowice.
The plane is surrounded by Border Guard officers. Sniper teams are positioned nearby. Several fire brigades and ambulance teams are on standby. Police counter-terrorists are preparing for action. They will be supported by special forces soldiers from the AGAT formation stationed in Silesia and the Commando Military Unit in Lubliniec.
The maneuvers were divided into two days
– Key tasks include supporting the system for recognizing chemical, biological and radioactive agents. Additionally, we support police units as part of medical support and are ready for a heavy assault based on armored vehicles – says Col. Krzysztof Banaszek, Chief of Staff of the Special Forces Component.
One hostage is released. When further talks bring no results, the commandos launch an assault. Then a tanker parked nearby bursts into flames. There are many injured.
Anti-terrorist exercises in SilesiaTVN24
The incident at the airport is intended to divert attention from another attack. Several dozen kilometers away – at the Silesian Stadium in Chorzów – an explosion occurs. The attackers are also trying to carry out a chemical weapons attack.
For logistical reasons, the maneuvers were divided into two days, but the scenario assumed that the action headquarters had to react as if the episodes were taking place simultaneously.
“It's the first time we've tested cooperation on this scale”
– This is the first time that cooperation between the services subordinated to the Minister of Interior and Administration and the army has been checked on such a scale – says Marek Wójcik, the Silesian Voivode.
Prosecutors are even expected to participate in training on how to collect evidence against the perpetrators of the attacks in dangerous conditions.
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– This is where expectations and possibilities meet. The expectations of the prosecutor's office and the capabilities of the services that are on the scene and help us secure the evidence, with a very important caveat: the most important thing is to protect safety – emphasizes Tomasz Tadla from the National Prosecutor's Office in Katowice.
Representatives of 19 services were involved in the maneuvers. These are the largest such exercises in the Silesian Voivodeship in years. Although these are just exercises, their scenario is very real. The dynamically changing situation in our part of the world requires constant readiness from the Polish services.
Main photo source: TVN24