Armed police start patrols in Sydney after Bondi Beach attack

Heavily-armed police officers have started patrolling Sydney's streets, as part of heightened security measures following last year's deadly shooting at Bondi Beach.

The Armed Response Command (ARC) will see specially trained officers in busy tourist areas carrying long-arm rifles – an unfamiliar sight for most residents.

New South Wales police say the officers will also patrol major events like sports matches and places of worship "to prevent, deter and rapidly respond to serious threats, including active armed offender incidents".

Fifteen people - including a 10-year-old girl – were killed in December when two gunmen opened fire on an event marking the Jewish festival of Hanukkah at the popular beach.

The attack was Australia's worst mass shooting in almost three decades and prompted sweeping gun law reforms and a crackdown on hate speech.

One resident told ABC news that the sight of armed police was "unnerving".

"They are just everywhere. Those guns are huge."

But another woman told the broadcaster that seeing police with weapons made her feel safe.

Kaynak: BBC News World RSS (Açık Basın / Haber Servisi)