WETHERSFIELD, England, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- A top British defense official said that despite an evolving threat of radicalism, England's specialist operational support units are reassuring.
Kevan Jones, a parliamentary undersecretary of state at the British Defense Ministry, recently traveled to witness a counter-terrorism exercise conducted by the Ministry of Defense Police Specialist Operational Support Unit in Wethersfield, England.
The specialized unit, one of two in England, was training on how to effectively counter a suicide bomber terrorist threat. Jones called the unit a reassurance, the British Ministry of Defense reported.
"What I've seen here reassures me that we have a considerable contribution to make within the Ministry of Defense to the country's counter-terrorist capability," Jones said in a statement.
Officials said the operational support units include highly trained officers that can be deployed in a short period of time to address an emergency situation.
"People who have been radicalized could infiltrate demonstrations, intent on causing public disorder, and could use the disorder as a cover for terrorist action," Chris Yates, chief inspector and head of the operational support unit, said in statement.
"We train to be ready to deal with that. Some of our skills are highly specialized in the police world."
