The National Police Agency launched on Monday a new team of antiterrorism experts to respond to overseas terrorist attacks against Japanese nationals.

The Terrorism Response Team, or TRT-2, will comprise about 110 members centering on personnel belonging to the agency's international terrorism division, including forensic experts from prefectural police forces and bomb disposal experts, agency officials said.

During the inauguration at the agency's headquarters, NPA Director General Hidehiko Sato said he hopes members of TRT-2 "will always put their focus on international affairs and be able to flexibly respond to situations."

Mikio Shiokawa, head of the agency's international terrorism division, was picked to lead TRT-2.

Arrangements for the first TRT were made in 1998 after the 1996 hostage crisis at the Japanese Embassy in Peru. Since then, the team had been created on an ad hoc basis.