Chinese troops that cleaned up Hong Kong were from top counterterrorism brigade
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While that might not have meant much to the casual observer, those with a grounding in military matters would have noticed that besides shirt numbers, the fluorescent orange and blue tops also carried a name: “Xuefeng Special Operations Brigade”.
In 2010, its troops took part in a joint counterterrorism drill in a mountainous region of northern Pakistan, close to the border with Afghanistan. The exercise involved a range of scenarios, including dealing with hostage situations.
The brigade is also trained to be able to deal with a wide range of environments, including deserts and open plains, and have travelled to South America and Europe, the reports said.
In 2013, its Eighth Company won the gold medal during a “confrontation exercise” at the Zhurihe military training base in Inner Mongolia.
Troops from the brigade last week featured in a report on the military channel of China’s state broadcaster CCTV, in which they were seen searching for objects in rooms filled with tear gas, and without the aid of face masks.
