Terror attack on Amarnath pilgrims - seven killed

Terrorists opened fire on a bus near Batengoo in J&K's Anantnag district, about 50km from Srinagar, and the gunfire killed seven pilgrims of Gujarat were killed and 14 others injured, the dead included women. As per initial reports, the bus in which they were traveling was not registered with the Amarnath shrine board and was traveling after permitted hours without adequate security.
This has been reported in indiatimes.com dated 11 July 2017.

According to police sources, the terrorists initially attacked a police bunker at Batengoo and the fire was returned. Subsequently, they attacked a police naka near Khanabal and again faced retaliation. Thereafter, they targeted the tourist bus which was on its way to Jammu from Baltal and was not part of any convoy.
There were general inputs regarding a threat to Amarnath yatris but nothing specific. Moreover, his particular bus did not belong to the official convoy. It was also not registered with the Amarnath board, as required for all non-official vehicles headed for the shrine.
Incidentally, the official convoy had crossed the spot at 7pm, under protective cover of Jammu and Kashmir Police and, therefore, CRPF and security personnel were withdrawn from the area. The attack on the bus took place around 8.20pm.


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Terrror attacks in Pakistan kill at least 61

Pakistan faced a number of terror attacks on three Pakistani cities on Friday that left at least 61 people dead and many injured. A suicide bomber in the city of Quetta killed at least 12 people and injured about 20.
Subsequently, there were twin blasts in a congested market in the city of Parachinar. This is the main city in the Kurram tribal region and at least 45 people were killed in this blast. There was another attack by a gunmen in the port city of Karachi - this attack at a roadside restaurant killed four.
The attacks have taken place ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid, which ends the holy month of Ramadan.
This has been reported in latimes.com dated 24 June 2017.

After the Quetta attack, a breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility. Later, the Islamic State extremist group also said it was behind the attack. To prove its claim, it released a photograph of the alleged attacker and identified the individual as well.


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ISIS claims responsibility of New Year Eve massacre in Istanbul, Turkey retaliates with airstrikes

ISIS has claimed responsibility for the New Year's Day mass shooting in a nightclub in Istanbul in which 39 people were killed and 69 wounded - the gunman is still at large. Turkey has retaliated by sending its fighter jets and tanks to strike 100 ISIS targets in Syria just hours after the terror group's attack.
Warplanes of Turkey used rockets to obliterate ISIS hideouts near the towns of al-Bab, Tadif and Bzagah in the north of the war-torn country - at least 22 extremists have been killed and many buildings destroyed.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 2 January 2017.

Turkish authorities are continuing their manhunt for the nightclub killer who had arrived in a taxi dressed as Santa Claus before slaughtering partygoers in the nightclub.
AS revealed by Turkey's state-run news agency, more than 100 ISIS targets in Syria were hit by Turkey and Russia in separate operations. Russian jets also attacked ISIS targets in Dayr Kak, eight five miles to the southwest of Al Bab.


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Killer in Santa Claus costume kills 39 in New Year Eve party in Istanbul

A killer dressed in Santa Claus costume kills 39 in New Year Eve party in an Istanbul club. There are at least 16 foreigners were among the people people killed in the gun attack during New Year festivities. The attack took place shortly after midnight in the club where an estimated 600 people were celebrating New Year’s eve.
21 of the victims have been identified so far and, 16 of them are foreigners and five are Turks. Another 69 people have been injured and are being treated in hospital for their wounds.
This has been reported in thehindu.com dated 1 January 2016.

The attacker managed to escape and is still at large. He opened fire in the nightclub during New Year’s celebrations and it has been described as a terror attack by the province’s governor. The attacker was armed with a long-barreled weapon and he killed a policeman and a civilian outside the club before entering and firing on people partying inside.
It was the Reina nightclub, in Istanbul’s Ortakoy district. Ankara and Istanbul have been targeted by several attacks in 2016 carried out by the Islamic State group or Kurdish rebels and these have killed more than 180 people.


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Australian police foil a IS terror plot targeting Melbourne during Christmas

Australian police have successfully foiled a IS terror plot targeting high-profile locations in Melbourne with a series of bombs on Christmas Day. The targets were prominent sites in Melbourne, Australia's second largest city and included Federation Square, Flinders Street Station and St Paul's Cathedral.
The five suspects aged between 21 and 26 had been under close surveillance for a fortnight and are now being held in connection with the alleged plot.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 23 December 2016.

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner has indicated that the plot had been "inspired by ISIS (Islamic State) and ISIS propaganda" and had been removed "in its entirety". The attacks would have involved the use of explosives, and either guns or knives resulting in death and injuries to people.
Three of the suspects have been charged with preparing or planning a terrorist attack. The remaining two would also be charged. Four of those being held were born in Australia, the fifth was Egyptian-born with Egyptian and Australian citizenship.
In order to ensure safety, there will be extra officers on patrol on Christmas Day and at the annual cricket Test on Boxing Day.


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All is not well in Europe - 1750 ISIS jihadists have returned to carry out attacks

EU has indicated that nearly 1,750 ISIS jihadists have returned to Europe - some of them have orders to carry out terror attacks. It seems 5,000 European fanatics had gone to Syria and Iraq and 15 to 20 per cent of them have been killed on the battlefield.
However, 35 percent have returned and some of them have come with 'specific missions'. Another 50 percent have remained in the battle arena.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 8 December 2016.

Belgium had expressed concerns on this development. There were two types of 'foreign terrorist fighters' returning and one of these is those who will be sent on specific missions.
Some of the European women and children born or raised in the so-called caliphate declared by ISIS in Iraq and Syria could pose a security threat because of radicalization. Some returnees have been convicted and are serving prison sentences and others are being monitored while some are free in their communities.


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Anonymous caller threatens terror attack in Los Angeles near a Hollywood theme park

Security has been tightened at metro stations in Los Angeles following a "specific" threat of a terror attack close to a major Hollywood theme park. As per FBI, the threat was made on an anonymous tip line and passed on to the US Joint Terrorism Task Force by an international partner.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 6 December 2016.

The call was apparently made by a man who was speaking English. He threatened an attack on the "off-ramp" at the Universal City/Studio City Red Line metro station situated north of Los Angeles, about half a mile from the Universal Studios attraction.
The FBI, the Los Angeles police and sheriff's departments will step up security on the metro system and there will be more number of uniformed and undercover officers on duty. The red and purple lines carried around 145,000 passengers a day.
Major employers in the area around Universal City have alerted their staff accordingly.


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Security beefed up for Munich Oktoberfest 2016

Oktoberfest 2016 is the world's biggest beer festival and Munich is taking precautions to prevent any terrorist attack in the event that is expected to attract more than six million visitors. Backpacks and large bags have been banned and the number of security cameras has risen from 19 to 29.
It has opened with long queues to get into the beer tents and will continue till 3 October.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 17 September 2016.

The venue of the festival is the 75-acre Theresienwiese site and every visitor has to go through security checks that is conducted by a team of 450 guards. During peak periods, there will be 600 police officers - this will be nearly 100 more than last year.
The security services continue to remain on high alert after Bavaria was hit by three attacks in a week in July, two of which were claimed by Islamic State. In one instance, a 17-year-old, who had sought asylum in Germany, was shot dead by police after he ran amok with an axe and knife on a train near the city of Wuerzburg. He left five people wounded, three of them seriously.
There are a total of 14 halls at this year's event, which dates back to 1810. In spite of the wet weather conditions, people began to queue up at 4:30 am because they were keen to see the mayor of Munich Dieter Reiter tap the first keg at noon.


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Abandoned car with gas cylinders found near Notre Dame cathedral

Police are believed to have made two more arrests following the discovery of an abandoned car containing gas cylinders in Paris. The vehicle did not have any registration plates and, was found with its hazard lights flashing. The car contained six gas tanks and, police are of the opinion that it may have been part of a "test run" for a terror attack.
This has been reported in news.sky.com dated 8 September 2016.

Two people had been arrested earlier near Montargis which is around 70 miles south of Paris and two other people, aged 34 and 29, were arrested at a service station in southern France. Both are said to have been known to police for having links to extremist Islamists.
The owner of the recovered vehicle was briefly detained and later released, but his "radicalized" daughter is being sought by police. Three other people have also been held and questioned before being released. Obviously, there is a security alert which has come after a warning from Paris prosecutor Francois Molins that an increasing number of teenagers have been radicalized in the French capital. As per his information, 35 minors - 23 boys and 12 girls - are being investigated under preliminary charges and, nine of whom have been detained.
It may be recalled that France has been under a state emergency since the November 2015 attacks on Paris in which 130 people were killed and hundreds others injured.


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France to impart lessons in schools on survival technques in case of ISIS attacks

In view of the terror attacks in France, the authorities have decided to impart lessons in how to survive a terror attack at school. This would be stated when the students return to school next month after their summer holidays. The lessons would be given to all those aged 14 and over and the course would include basic 'life-saving' skills as well as how to stay calm in the event of an attack.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 11 August 2016.

In the opinion of French officials, these lessons will improve the resilience of youngsters and also train them to have good reactions. The schools will have to conduct three bomb threat drills throughout the academic year so that they are not 'taken by surprise' in the event of an attack. These will be different from a fire alarm drill.
The ISIS has already said in December that schools are a 'top priority' target. The terror group wants to remove children from French schools and kill teachers for being 'enemies of Islam' because they teach secularism.
Under the new measures, the headteachers would have to hold special meetings with parents and inform them about what security measures they have in place. The schools will also see surveillance stepped up in the roads around their buildings to ensure security.


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Four killed and nine police officers injured in terror attack in Bangladesh during Eid prayer

Another terror attack has taken place in Bangladesh during the Eid prayer. Two Bangladeshi policeman were killed and nine other officers were wounded in the attack when radical Islamists hurled crude bombs and engaged in a shootout with police. The venue of the attack was near Sholakia ground at Kishoreganj district, before Eid prayers began. It was the largest congregation in Bangladesh with 200,000 people who had gathered to offer prayers.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has condemned the terror attack on the occasion of Eid and said that terrorism is against Islam and humanity.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 7 July 2016.

A revealed by eyewitnesses, the attack was led by 6-7 youths. They attacked a cop with knife and exploded bombs. They also hurled homemade bombs at a police team, killing one officer. A total of four people have been killed - they are two police constables, a woman and an attacker.
The attack targeted a police contingent that was guarding the Sholakia Ground in Kishoreganj district. Bangladesh Information Minister has indicated that while one attacker has been killed, another has been taken alive by the security forces.
It may be recalled that on Friday evening, a group of gunmen had attacked the cafe in Bangladesh capital Dhaka’s diplomatic district Gulshan and killed 22 people including two police officers and twenty hostages. 17 of the dead were foreign nationals.


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Ukraine police arrest a French citizen to foil terror bid during Euro 2016

The Euro 2016 tournament is scheduled to be organized in France from June 10 to July 10 and the Ukraine police has arrested a French citizen who is suspected of planning terror attacks to coincide with the Euro 2016 European football championship. The Frenchman had apparently talked in a negative way about his government`s actions relating to the mass migration of foreigners and the spread of Islam. He has also disclosed a plan to commit a series of terrorist attacks as a mark of protest.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 7 June 2016.

It seems he was plotting 15 attacks in France targeting Muslim and Jewish houses of worship, bridges, highways, a tax collecting office and buildings of public institutions involved in the organization of Euro 2016. Police detained him when he was attempting to cross the Ukrainian-Polish border.
Details of the suspect have not been disclosed but, he had traveled to Ukraine intending to buy weapons from the armed groups, which are involved in the confrontation in eastern regions. Preliminary investigations indicate that he had acquired 125 kg of explosives, 5 Kalashnikov assault rifles, more than 5,000 rounds of ammunition and other weapons as a part of his arsenal.


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ISIS hatches diabolical plan to massacre tourists on Mediterranean beaches

ISIS is hatching plans to carry out terror attacks across Europe this summer - they would be targeting holidaying tourists by posing as innocent ice cream and T-shirt sellers. This has been revealed by Italian intelligence chiefs. According to BND (Germany's equivalent of MI6), the beaches which are definitely targeted include resorts in southern France, the Costa del Sol in Spain and both coasts in Italy.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 19 April 2016.

German media has indicated that ISIS is sending jihadists who would pretend to be selling refreshments before detonating suicide vests and bombs that would be buried under sun loungers at Spanish, French and Italian resorts. The intention is to bring bloodshed to holiday resorts.
The Italians came to know about the sinister terror plans through a credible source in Africa. The would-be killers had formed 'concrete plans' to pose as refugees serving tourists with drinks and snacks or hawking beach accessories and T-shirts. Their plans involve the use of automatic weapons on crowded waterfronts, suicide bombings and explosive devices buried in sand beneath sun loungers.
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Terror attack in Brussels airport - at least 28 killed, dozens injured

Brussels Airport was the scene of a terror attack n which at least 28 people were killed and dozens injured - the attacks happened at the city's airport and a metro station near the EU headquarters. Two blasts rocked the American Airlines check-in desk at the Airport at 8am. It was a suspected suicide bombing.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 22 March 2016.

Approximately 90 minutes after the bomb blast at the airport, there was another blast that destroyed a the Maelbeek Metro station located just 400 metres from the EU headquarters in the city center. The attacks have come just a day after the Belgium Interior Minister had warned of possible revenge attacks following the arrest of Paris massacre suspect Salah Abdeslam in the city last week.
Firefighters who searched for survivors are believed to have found a third unexploded device, even as armed police in protective clothing combed the area looking for more wounded travelers and suspicious bags.
Flights that are due to land at Brussels-Zaventem, which handles 21million passengers a year, were diverted to Antwerp, Liege, and Brussels Charleroi airports. As a result of this attack, Europe's biggest airports are all increasing their security today. Heathrow has increased its own 'visible' security in the wake of the attacks – with large units of armed police patrolling the airport from morning.


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It is believed that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered terror attacks to be carried out on South Koreans and these could happen in busy shopping malls, subways and other public places. It is feared that Kim Jong-Un could also target activists and defectors with poisoning attacks or entice them to go to China and kidnap them from there.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 18 February 2016.

The information on the terror warnings have apparently emerged in a briefing that was given by South Korea's National Intelligence Service to members of the country's ruling Saenuri Party. Presidential aide Kim Sung-woo has added a rejoinder that the possibility of North Korean attacks 'is increasing more than ever'.
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The present terror attacks could target anti-Pyongyang activists, defectors and government officials apart from attacks on subways, shopping malls and other public places.
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Moreover, Seoul and Washington have indicated that their annual springtime military drills will be the largest ever with involvement of nearly 15,000 U.S. troops - this would be double of the number Washington normally sends. And, in the opinion of North, these drills are preparation for a northward invasion.


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France joins Russia in joint airstrikes against ISIS in Raqqa

#terrorattack #ISIS #Parisattacks #raqqa #airstrikes The terror attack by ISIS in Paris has acted as a wake up call for the whole world and, France joined hands with Russia to carry out air strikes in Syria targeting weapons depots, barracks and checkpoints in the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa. At least 33 ISIS terrorists have been killed in three-days of air strikes over northern Syria.
This has been reported in dailymail.co.uk dated 18 November 2015.

Dozens more jihadists have been wounded in the raids and dramatic new footage of the French airstrikes shows rockets slamming into buildings below during a bombing campaign that lasted 72-hours.
The feelings of France can be understood from the fact that the attacks in Paris left 129 innocents dead.
Russia also pounded Raqqa with long-range bombers and sea-launched missiles - this was done after Moscow confirmed that a bomb attack had brought down a Russian passenger jet over Egypt last month in which all 224 people on board were killed.
It seems the ISIS militants are aware of the fact that there would be counter assaults and are stiffening their defences on their de-facto capital. Fighters are believed to be hiding in civilian neighborhoods, preventing anyone from fleeing.
Russia has deployed its Tupolev-160 bombers for their first ever combat mission. These supersonic war planes can carry up to 12 missiles and fly at up to 2,000-Km per hour.
The residents of Raqqa numbering around 350,000 are gripped by fear and are rattled by powerful Russian and French bombing raids that shake the city daily.

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Coordinated terror attacks in Paris leave more than 150 dead

More than 150 have been killed in coordinated terror attacks in Paris and Deputy Mayor Patrick Klugman has indicated that the death toll is going to rise significantly. Residents and tourists in Paris were enjoying a soccer match between France and world champion Germany when terror struck. Terrorists - some with AK-47s, some reportedly with bombs strapped to them - attacked sites throughout the French capital and at the stadium where the soccer match was underway.
This has been reported in edition.cnn.com dated 14 November 2015.

The worst carnage occurred at the Bataclan concert hall, where at least 112 died. There was a heavy metal concert there and the terrorists shot at the assembled people for 10 to 15 minutes. It was like a bloodbath.
As a witness has revealed one of them had heard them talk about Iraq and Syria. Later, the men were speaking in French.
On an initial count, at least 153 people were killed in the Paris and Saint-Denis shootings and bombings. Saint-Denis is home to the national stadium where the soccer match was being played.
Four of the attackers are believed to have been killed - three of them were wearing explosive belts.
While the identity of the terrorists are not clear, in the opinion of US experts, the attacks resembled tactics that have been employed by a number of terror groups -- including al Qaeda's focus on mass casualty and visibility. The small, tactical nature of attacks are more the hallmark of ISIS and its acolytes.

(Image source wikimediacommons.org)

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Car-ramming attack injures 6 female soldiers in Jerusalem

#Jerusalem #Israel #terrorattack #femalesoldiers #purim Terrorism has many faces and one of these is of car-ramming. It has happened in Jerusalem when a motorist rammed his car into a group of people who were waiting for a train in east Jerusalem. As a result, seven people were injured - six of them were Israeli female soldiers. The attacker was shot and wounded by guards as reported in foxnews.com dated 6 March 2015.
A police spokeswoman has described the assault as a “terror attack.”
From information available it appears the motorist had plowed his car into the curb after running over the group of people. Subsequently the man got out of his car with a knife and stabbed a pedestrian before he was shot.
The injured and the motorist were taken to the hospital.
The police have identified the attacker as a Palestinian man from east Jerusalem who is believed to be in his twenties. It is difficult to prevent such attacks because these fall in the category of "lone wolf" assailants.
The attack has taken place at a time when Israelis are celebrating the Jewish holiday of Purim. Hence, the police have become more alert.

Another interesting blog - Citizen Journalist

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