A new institute was officially launched yesterday to train soldiers in dealing with security and terrorist threats, as the need for the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) to play a larger role in this area increases.

The Island Defence Training Institute (IDTI) will equip soldiers with skills to respond to threats alongside their Home Team counterparts.

Defence analyst Ho Shu Huang of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies said that while the SAF has been playing a role in domestic security for some time, the setting up of IDTI shows recognition of its widening role in this area.