NATO troops practice response to chemical weapons attack

Soldiers from six NATO countries in an ongoing military exercise in Latvia have carried out a drill in which they practiced how to respond to chemical weapons attack, director of the exercise Major Girts Savins said on Monday.

Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, the United States, Canada and Luxembourg participated this year's Operation Summer Shield XII military exercise, held at Adazi Training Area outside Riga between March 22 to 31.

During the first phase of the drill, small groups of soldiers practiced using various weapons and defence systems. In the second phase, the troops have been practicing fire control in tactical field exercises.

According to Savins, it is the first time for units specializing in defence against weapons of mass destruction to take part in the exercise.

"These units practice fixing equipment and troops after chemical or nuclear attacks. Soldiers from Luxembourg arrived with systems to prepare water for all participants of the exercise," said Savins.

Latvian Chief of Defence Major General Raimonds Graube told the press that the ongoing exercise had been a very important one as troops had been learning to treat contaminated water and to respond to chemical attacks.

More than 1,100 soldiers from the six countries participated this year's Operation Summer Shield exercise, which is a air-sea-land drill.

Latvis has been hosting the exercise since 2004. Enditem