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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/may/10/suicide-bomber-targets-trafford-centre-mock-terror-attack-manchester
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| Terror training exercise staged at Trafford Centre | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A mock terrorist attack has been carried out at one of the UK’s busiest shopping centres, in a marauding assault similar to the Paris and Brussels atrocities. | A mock terrorist attack has been carried out at one of the UK’s busiest shopping centres, in a marauding assault similar to the Paris and Brussels atrocities. |
| More than 800 volunteers took part in the staged attack at the Trafford Centre in Manchester on Monday night. | More than 800 volunteers took part in the staged attack at the Trafford Centre in Manchester on Monday night. |
| As part of the drill a fake suicide bomber detonated an explosive device in a packed food court at the shopping centre. | As part of the drill a fake suicide bomber detonated an explosive device in a packed food court at the shopping centre. |
| The volunteers, wearing ear defenders and safety glasses, screamed out as if they were in pain as the training exercise unfolded. | The volunteers, wearing ear defenders and safety glasses, screamed out as if they were in pain as the training exercise unfolded. |
| A second masked gunman then appeared at the entrance to the food court and fired a number of blank rounds. | A second masked gunman then appeared at the entrance to the food court and fired a number of blank rounds. |
| Media organisations were then taken outside to witness the arrival, five minutes later, of armed police. | Media organisations were then taken outside to witness the arrival, five minutes later, of armed police. |
| Two police marksmen moved towards the mock terrorist, ignoring the injured in a new tactic to save lives outlined by Scotland Yard following a similar training exercise in December. | Two police marksmen moved towards the mock terrorist, ignoring the injured in a new tactic to save lives outlined by Scotland Yard following a similar training exercise in December. |
| The Trafford Centre mock attack, five months in the planning, then continued in the media’s absence until 6am. | The Trafford Centre mock attack, five months in the planning, then continued in the media’s absence until 6am. |
| Greater Manchester police sought to reassure people that there is no specific intelligence of an attack on the shopping centre, six miles west of Manchester city centre: | Greater Manchester police sought to reassure people that there is no specific intelligence of an attack on the shopping centre, six miles west of Manchester city centre: |
| #CTexercise. Exercise has been in planning since 2015. It’s not related to or in response to any recent incident or specific threat. | #CTexercise. Exercise has been in planning since 2015. It’s not related to or in response to any recent incident or specific threat. |
| The shopping centre will be open as usual on Tuesday, although the training exercise is due to continue unseen at unnamed locations until Wednesday, when it will finish in Merseyside. | The shopping centre will be open as usual on Tuesday, although the training exercise is due to continue unseen at unnamed locations until Wednesday, when it will finish in Merseyside. |
| Counter-terror officers have stepped up their planning for a marauding-style terror attack following the atrocities in Paris last year and Brussels in March. | Counter-terror officers have stepped up their planning for a marauding-style terror attack following the atrocities in Paris last year and Brussels in March. |
| In Brussels, 32 people were killed and more than 300 injured when three suicide bombers detonated explosives in the airport and Maelbeek metro station. | In Brussels, 32 people were killed and more than 300 injured when three suicide bombers detonated explosives in the airport and Maelbeek metro station. |
| In November last year, 130 people were killed when three suicide bombers struck near the Stade de France in St-Denis, Paris, followed by suicide bombings and mass shootings at cafes, restaurants and the Bataclan music venue. | In November last year, 130 people were killed when three suicide bombers struck near the Stade de France in St-Denis, Paris, followed by suicide bombings and mass shootings at cafes, restaurants and the Bataclan music venue. |