Hong Kong police to deploy anti-terrorism team for U.S. singer's concert

Heavy police presence including an anti-terrorism team will be deployed Thursday night for U.S. singer Ariana Grande's concert in Hong Kong, the police said.

Police units take part in an anti-terror drill in Hong Kong, Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. Officers, some of them posing as assailants, held a simulated a terror attack at a concert as part of preparations for a performance in Hong Kong on Sep. 21 by singer Ariana Grande. [Photo: AP Photo/Vincent Yu]

The heightened security comes four months after a suicide bomber attacked the pop star's concert in Manchester, Britain, leaving over 20 people dead and more than 150 injured.

Police officers will patrol outside the AsiaWorld Expo, where the concert is to be performed, while the concert promoter will handle security inside the venue, English daily SCMP quoted a police source as saying.

The deployment includes a team of anti-terrorism officers and the Police Tactical Unit, the report said, describing the measures as "unprecedented in Hong Kong for a live music event". 

"All audiences will be searched and required to go through metal detector before entering the hall," the concert promoter Live Nation said on its website.

Concertgoers are prohibited from bringing backpacks, bags or purses of any size, bottles or cans, cameras, video or audio recording devices, selfie sticks or long umbrellas into the venue.

Ahead of the U.S. singer's show, Hong Kong police have carried out two anti-terror exercises, respectively in Hong Kong Stadium and in the City Hall.

The SCMP quoted another police source as saying that Hong Kong's overall terrorism threat level remained "moderate" and there is no intelligence to suggest the event would be targeted.