By Jermyn Chow
News Reporter
jermync@sph.com.sg

 

7.35 am:

The afternoon calm of the idyllic beachfront bar was shattered when terrorists stormed the shores of Siloso Beach on Sentosa Island. The gunmen took everyone by surprise, spraying revellers with bullets and left dead bodies and fires in their wake.

This test scenario is part of the nation-wide emergency exercise, codenamed Northstar VII, that aims to test the response of Singapore's security agencies.

The three-day exercise, which began early on Monday, involving the Singapore Police Force (SPF), Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), is modelled after last November's Mumbai attacks. The Straits Times brings you the latest updates from the scene of 'carnage'.

A terror 'victim' taken away on a stretcher

8.18 am:

Rescue efforts are in full swing as emergency crews from SCDF stretcher out scores of people who were wounded.

A police spokesman told reporters on the scene that 10 people were killed, with about 20 others injured. Most of them suffered gunshot wounds. They comprise locals and foreigners.

Details of what might have happened is scant but the police spokesman confirmed that a manhunt is on for three gunmen who were carrying automatic weapons. He said that they came ashore in a dinghy at 9pm.

"They fired indiscriminately at patrons and left on bicycles in the fire section of Rasa Sentosa," the spokesman referred to the hotel nearby.

8.46am:

Superintendent Koh Wei Keong, deputy commander of Jurong police division, who is overseeing the rescue efforts said his team of 60 officers from the special ops command are "flushing the areaal of any weapons or armed personnel.

Meanwhile, Supt Koh confirmed that two other attacks took place at the Singapore Cruise centre in Harbourfront and downtown Orchard Road. He told reporters that there is no evidence to link this evening's attacks to the work of terrrorists.

He, however, said there no details yet on what happened. Police forensics officers are now piecing together what might have happened amid the carnage. Meanwhile, Supt Koh said there are no plans to evacuate residents and visitors of the island.

Police spokesman Humphrey Sew said the residents are "not in imminent danger". He added that crisis managment plans are in place in all establishments on the island.

Sentosa spokesman Suzanne Ho said there are about 3,000 people residents, half of them are residents of posh bayfront houses, sentosa cove. The rest are hotel patrons staying in the island's six hotels and revellers.

Police cordons have been up around Cafe Del Mar, a favourite haunt of foreigners.

Singapore is under siege as police and military crack teams fanned across the island to secure the borders to flush out the other militants in the harbourfront and downtown attacks.