Air Force deploys special forces in airports

The Nigerian Air Force has launched a special counter terrorism exercise code-named ‘Exercise Steel Dome’ for all the airports in the country.

The first simulation exercise for ‘Operation Steel Dome’ held with military commandos from the Nigerian Air Force Regiment, the Nigerian Army, the Navy and other security agencies at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja on Wednesday.

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, told journalists shortly after exercise at the Abuja Airport that Steel Dome was designed to put in place a force that would be effective in the event of any attack in the nation’s airports.

Abubakar said that the simulation exercise was put in place to ensure that there were no gaps in operational plans in the event that such rescue operations became necessary in the nation’s airports.

The Air Chief said that the counter terrorism simulation exercise which involved a mock rescue operation for passengers held hostage by terrorists would be repeated in all the airports in the country

According to him, the NAF would carry out the next round of counter terrorism simulation exercise at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, the Port Harcourt International International Airport, the Aminu Kano International Airport and others.

He said that the NAF had enough trained special forces to carry out the exercise in the airports.

Source: Punch