The government is taking seriously an alleged threat from the Islamic State to attack the Taipei 101 building, Executive Yuan Spokesperson Sun Lih-chyun said today. The Executive Yuan is investigating the authenticity of an online post depicting the landmark under fire and has ordered all agencies on heightened alert.
The Executive Yuan's Office of Homeland Security has met with the Ministry of National Defense, the National Police Agency, the National Immigration Agency, the Investigation Bureau and other national security agencies to discuss the matter, Sun said. National security authorities and Taiwan's representatives abroad are also gathering intelligence on the post. The Executive Yuan has asked that all analysis results be shared immediately.
Working in concert with national security agencies, the Executive Yuan has already established a terrorism response mechanism. In the event of a terrorist event, the responsible agency will set up an emergency task force or activate a command center to coordinate responses among national security authorities, executive branch agencies and local governments.
Taiwan is a peace-loving, humanitarian nation that opposes all forms of violence, Sun continued. As security threats rise around the world, the Executive Yuan will continue bolstering Taiwan's counterterrorism capabilities to minimize risks to public security and protect the lives and properties of its citizens.