Kirchheim near Munich (dpa / lby) - The Munich police briefly triggered a major alarm because of an exercise by their own special forces. After several emergency calls to shots were received in Kirchheim near Munich (Munich district) on Thursday, around 50 patrols and a helicopter were sent to the alleged crime scene, the police said. It was known that a special police task force was practicing in the vicinity. When the emergency calls were made, however, different places were mentioned. Therefore, "the information was treated with the necessary sensitivity". A few minutes later, the shots could then be assigned to the exercise.
The large contingent was therefore part of the alarm for "life-threatening operations", which is triggered in the event of possible terrorist attacks and rampages. The Munich police spokesman Andreas Franken was able to gain something positive from the operation. The incident "showed that the concepts we have prepared for such scenarios are working".
However, the officials also investigated whether the shots at the official police practice area were heard further away than usual due to the weather and wind - and that is why so many emergency calls were received, said a police spokesman. Police officers regularly conduct drills on the site.
