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Soldiers join law enforcement forces to patrol Milan

Xinhua, November 29, 2016 Adjust font size:

A hundred Italian soldiers joined law enforcement forces to patrol some sensitive areas here, local prefect Alessandro Marangoni announced on Monday.

In the coming days, another 50 soldiers will arrive to join the regular patrol, Marangoni said.

Additional military personnel were requested by Milan mayor Giuseppe Sala "to guarantee the safety of the city" following recent episodes of violence, among them, the killing of a Dominican citizen on the street and a huge scuffle between Philippine citizens.

In the city of Milan, 650 soldiers are already deployed, according to local media. "Soldiers and law enforcement agents will patrol together in some locations that we have identified," Marangoni said last week. Among them there are three peripheral areas, often depicted by Italian media as sensitive.

Military presence aims mainly to prevent regular and terrorist crimes, Marangoni explained. Their deployment will be initially limited to three months, he said.

"If after these three months there is still a need, we will evaluate the opportunity to extend these mixed patrols."

On Nov. 19, Italian interior minister Angelino Alfano announced his decision to deploy the 150 soldiers, adding to the 650 personnel already in Milan. Endit