Gunmen at Ipoh polytechnic just a drill - police

Summary

• Ipoh police say gunmen at Ungku Omar Polytechnic institute are part of a planned safety drill on terrorism crisis management response.

• Part of the response team dispatched on scene includes a large number of police personnel, land and air security forces, as well as emergency and rescue services.

The presence of gunmen at the Ungku Omar Politechnic institute in Ipoh, Perak was just part of a drill, according to police.

It was meant to test the responsiveness of agencies, including the police, to terrorism events.

Ipoh police chief Abang Zainal Abidin Abang Ahmad said the drill started with a report lodged by the institute's security guard at 9.04am regarding the attack.

"These drills are carried out from time to time to test the effectiveness of the terrorism crisis management response plan and ensure that public safety is protected," he said in a statement.

Part of the response team dispatched on scene included a large number of police personnel, land and air security forces, as well as emergency and rescue services.

"Therefore, the public is advised not to panic and share misleading speculations on the drill," he added.

Earlier, a seven-second video showing a man at the institution armed with an assault rifle was shared on X and had garnered over 7,000 views within an hour.

A separate posting also claimed that a parent had received the video but couldn’t get in touch with their child, raising fears over the safety of students.

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