Army special forces stage counter-terrorism drills at Seoul baseball stadium

Troops from the Army Special Warfare Command head to Gocheok Sky Dome, in Seoul, March 5, provided by the Republic of Korea Army. Yonhap

The Army's special operations troops held a joint counter-terrorism exercise with police personnel at a baseball stadium in Seoul on Tuesday to hone operational capabilities against any possible terror attacks in crowded facilities.

The exercise took place at Gocheok Sky Dome in southwestern Seoul, involving personnel from the Army Special Warfare Command and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's special operations unit, according to the Army.

It proceeded under a scenario of armed terrorists taking hostages at the stadium, demanding ransom and a helicopter to escape. Participants trained on eliminating the terrorists, rescuing the hostages and disarming an explosive planted by the gunmen.

The Army said the training was planned as part of a series of on-field drills during this year's Freedom Shield exercise between Korea and the United States, which began Monday for an 11-day run.

The counter-terrorism exercise took place ahead of two matches between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres — the first regular season games of Major League Baseball in Korea — at Gocheok Sky Dome on March 20-21. (Yonhap)