Nepalese warriors hired to ensure security at US-North Korea summit

Gurkhas, recruited by Singapore police from the mountains of Nepal, provide security at the Shangri-La Dialogue. Photo: AP

While the US and North Korean leaders will bring their own personal security teams, Singapore's elite police force, including the Singapore military's Gurkha Command, will secure the summit venue, roads and hotels, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The Gurkhas, who have a low-key presence in Singapore, made a more public appearance than usual over the weekend as they provided security at the Shangri-la Hotel, where the Shangri-la Security Dialogue was taking place.

The Gurkhas, recruited by the Singaporean police from the remote mountains of Nepal, were fully equipped with body armor, advanced Belgian-made FN SCAR assault rifles and pistols to ensure security at the Shangri-La Dialogue, in what some security experts said was a rehearsal for the US-North Korea summit.

“They are among Singapore’s most elite forces, and I am sure they will be involved in ensuring security for the US-North Korea summit,” said Tim Huxley, an expert on Singapore’s armed forces at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). “They are still a vital and frontline force, and the demands of such an important event are the kind of special operations that the Gurkhas are trained to handle.”

The Singapore police spokesman has not yet announced the number of Gurkha soldiers to be deployed in the near future./