Army Vehicles Open Fire In Taipei As Taiwan Prepares To Face Chinese Threat
Taiwan's military drill in Greater Taipei shut down Wanban Bridge to simulate blocking Chinese forces, showcasing rapid response with multi-tiered barricades.
Taiwan's armed forces shut down a key bridge in Greater Taipei on Tuesday as part of a military drill simulating efforts to block Chinese forces from advancing toward the capital, Central News Agency (CNA) said in a report.
A similar video was posted by Jaime Ocon, a defence reporter for TaiwanPlus News and a fellow of the Taiwan Security Monitor . The video showed military vehicles and tanks firing their guns and taking gunshots from Taiwanese infantrymen who were seen defending key entrances into the capital.
It is unclear if the CNA report and the video tweeted by the journalist Jamie Ocon are of the same drill and News18 could not independently verify the authenticity of the report.
The Wanban Bridge, connecting New Taipei's Banqiao District to Taipei's Wanhua District, was closed from 11 pm Monday to 6 am Tuesday to allow troops to conduct the exercise. Within two hours, soldiers built a four-layer blockade across the 690-meter bridge, showcasing Taiwan's rapid response capabilities against a potential Chinese ground incursion.
The drill simulated a scenario in which People's Liberation Army (PLA) units, disguised in civilian vehicles, attempted to breach the bridge. Taiwan sees these tactics as consistent with China's 'gray zone" warfare methods aimed at blurring the line between peace and conflict.
Military police deployed drones for surveillance before staging a defensive firefight. In the simulation, PLA forces broke through three of the four barricade layers before being stopped by Taiwanese snipers and Clouded Leopard armoured vehicles. The exercise ended with a full clearance of the bridge and spot checks on vehicles.
Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence said the drill is part of a larger push to bolster urban warfare readiness and protect key government and infrastructure sites, including the Presidential Office Building in Taipei.
Tuesday marked the seventh day of Taiwan's Han Kuang exercises, the longest-ever live-fire phase of the annual military drill, which runs until July 18. The extended duration of this year's exercise, which were double that of previous years, indicates towards Taiwan's heightened urgency amid China's increasing military pressure.
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