Recent Highlights in Terrorist Activity
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SEPTEMBER 2008 . VOL 1 . ISSUE 10 Recent Highlights in 10 civilians. After the attack, two more claimed that “the vehicle was being suicide bombers in another vehicle tailed by the police who had intelligence Terrorist Activity approached the scene, but were shot to that a suicide bomber was preparing for death by police before they were able to an attack in the city [Mersin].” – AP, August 16, 2008 (PHILIPPINES): Abu detonate their explosives. The Taliban August 19 Sayyaf Group gunmen ambushed and claimed responsibility. – Reuters, August killed two Philippine Marines on Jolo 18 August 19, 2008 (ALGERIA): A suicide Island in the southern Philippines. car bomber drove his explosives-laden – AP, August 16 August 18, 2008 (YEMEN): Security vehicle into a line of applicants at an forces arrested five suspected al-Qa`ida Algerian police academy in Les Issers, August 17, 2008 (IRAQ): A suicide operatives in the al-Qattan district of Boumerdes Province, killing at least bomber on a motorcycle targeted Hadramawt Province. Two Yemeni 43 people and making it one of the a checkpoint manned by the U.S.- troops may have been killed during deadliest attacks to hit the country in supported “Sons of Iraq” in Azamiya the operation. – NewsYemen, August 19; AP, recent years. Al-Qa`ida in the Islamic district of Baghdad, killing 15 people. August 24 Maghreb later claimed credit for the The Islamic State of Iraq later claimed attack. – AP, August 19; BBC News, August 22 credit for the operation. – Reuters, August August 18, 2008 (SOMALIA): A 17; AP, August 21 spokesman for Somalia’s Alliance for August 19, 2008 (YEMEN): The al- the Re-Liberation of Somalia (ARS) Qa`ida-linked Jund al-Yaman Brigades August 17, 2008 (AFGHANISTAN): The pledged that differences among the issued a statement on an Islamist web Taliban sent a letter to Canadian media Islamist opposition “will end soon” and forum warning that it would “operate organizations warning that Canadians that “we will continue fighting against a reprisal operation very soon.” The need to “convince your government the Ethiopian forces who invaded statement came in response to an August to put an end to the occupation of our homeland aggressively until they 11 security operation that left five Afghanistan so that the Afghans are withdraw from our country.” Since suspected al-Qa`ida-linked militants not killed with your hands and so that June, Somalia’s opposition groups, dead, including Hamza al-Q`uyati, a you are not killed with the hands of the including the ARS and other Islamist senior operative who escaped from a Afghans.” The letter threatened more factions, have disagreed over a political Political Security Organization prison attacks on Canadian nationals similar deal signed in Djibouti. – Bloomberg, in 2006. – NewsYemen, August 20 to the one that occurred on August 13, August 19 in which two Canadian aid workers August 19, 2008 (PHILIPPINES): were killed in Logar Province. – CTV.ca, August 19, 2008 (AFGHANISTAN): Suspected Abu Sayyaf Group militants August 17 Taliban fighters launched a significant shot and killed a Philippine Marine attack on Camp Salerno, a major U.S. officer as he rode his motorcycle through August 18, 2008 (UNITED KINGDOM): military base in Khost Province. During Lian village in Patikul town of Sulu A British court found Hammaad Munshi the attack, approximately 30 fighters Province in the southern Philippines. guilty of distributing information online tried to storm the base, yet were turned The officer, Captain Abduhari Sulani, about how to make explosives, napalm, back by small-arms fire and helicopter was in civilian clothes at the time of the detonators and grenades. Munshi, who gunships. Seven Taliban fighters attack, and despite his eventual death was arrested when he was 16-year-old, were killed, six of whom were suicide due to gunshot wounds, he managed to was convicted along with two other men, bombers. Authorities believe that the kill one of the attackers. – GMANews.tv, Aabid Khan and Sultan Muhammad, Taliban hoped a wave of suicide bombers August 20 both in their early 20s. – AFP, August 19 would soften the base’s defenses, allowing Taliban gunmen to storm the August 20, 2008 (AFGHANISTAN): August 18, 2008 (AFGHANISTAN): base immediately after. The base was U.S.-led coalition forces launched Taliban fighters killed 10 French soldiers hit by a similar attack on August 18. an attack on Taliban militants in during a major battle that erupted after – AFP, August 19 Laghman Province, killing more than Taliban fighters ambushed a French 30 insurgents with small-arms fire and reconnaissance patrol in Sarobi district, August 19, 2008 (PAKISTAN): A airstrikes. There were no fatal coalition Paktika Province. Approximately 100 suicide bomber attacked a group of casualties. – AP, August 21 Taliban fighters engaged the French Shi`a Muslims who were gathered at patrol from three sides. The Afghan a hospital in Dera Ismail Khan in the August 20, 2008 (AFGHANISTAN): Defense Ministry announced that 27 North-West Frontier Province, killing Three NATO soldiers were killed by Taliban insurgents were killed in the at least 25 people. – BBC News, August 19 a roadside bomb in Ghazni Province. ensuing confrontation. – Reuters, August – AP, August 21 19; Bloomberg, August 20 August 19, 2008 (TURKEY): A suspected suicide bomber blew himself August 20, 2008 (PAKISTAN): August 18, 2008 (PAKISTAN): A up after being stopped by police near Missiles slammed into a suspected suicide car bomber rammed his the capital of Mersin Province. As a militant compound near Wana in South explosives-laden vehicle into the gate result of the explosion, nine policemen Waziristan Agency of the Federally of Camp Salerno, a major U.S. military were wounded. There was no immediate Administered Tribal Areas. Initial base in Khost Province, killing at least claim of responsibility. One press report reports indicate that five to 10 people SEPTEMBER 2008 . VOL 1 . ISSUE 10 were killed in the attack. Although it August 22, 2008 (ISRAEL): Khaled Abu were killed during the operation. – AP, is not certain who fired the missiles, Rakaiek, a 23-year-old Bedouin and August 23 press reports suggested that they were resident of Tel Sheva, was indicted in launched by U.S. military aircraft. – AP, Beersheba District Court for attempting August 24, 2008 (IRAQ): The U.S. August 21 to contact al-Qa`ida with the motive military announced that it arrested an of beginning a terrorist cell to execute al-Qa`ida operative responsible for the August 20, 2008 (ALGERIA): A series suicide bombings in Israel. Rakaiek 2006 kidnapping of The Christian Science of synchronized bombings ripped was arrested on July 29 by the Southern Monitor journalist Jill Carroll. According through Algeria, killing a total of 12 District Police and Shin Bet. – ynetnews. to the statement, the operative, Salim people. A car bomb exploded outside com, August 22; Jerusalem Post, August 22 Abdullah Ashur al-Shujayri (also a military command post in the city of known as Abu Uthman), was arrested on Bouira just 15 minutes before another August 22, 2008 (SOMALIA): According August 11. Carroll, abducted in January car bomb ripped through a bus—filled to a report in Somalia’s Garowe Online 2006, was released three months with employees of SNC-Lavalin, a news source, gunmen loyal to the after her abduction. Another news Canadian engineering and construction Islamic Courts movement have taken report further stated that “Shujayri’s firm—in the same city; the latter attack control of the key southern port town associates are said to have included Al accounted for all of the fatalities. It was of Kismayo. One resident, speaking to Qaeda in Iraq members involved in the not immediately clear whether suicide a Bloomberg journalist, claimed that 2004 abduction of Margaret Hassan, the bombers were in the vehicles. Al-Qa`ida “Kismayo is totally under the control of head of Care International in Iraq. She in the Islamic Maghreb later claimed al-Shabaab [of the Islamic Courts] and was found slain in November 2004.” credit for the attacks. – Washington Post, they are walking inside the town with – AP, August 24; Los Angeles Times, August 25 August 21; BBC News, August 22 their machine guns.” Heavy fighting gripped the city beginning on August August 24, 2008 (IRAQ): A suicide August 21, 2008 (PAKISTAN): Two 22, causing the deaths of at least 50 bomber attacked a large group of people suicide bombers attacked Pakistan’s people. – GaroweOnline, August 22; Bloomberg, who were celebrating a man’s release main weapons building complex in August 22 from detention, killing at least 25 of Wah, Punjab Province. Although they them. The attack, which occurred in were unable to penetrate the main gates August 23, 2008 (IRAQ): A prominent Abu Ghurayb in Baghdad Province, of the high security compound, the Shi`a cleric, Haider al-Saymari, was appeared to target Iraqis who had been bombers detonated their explosives as gunned down in Basra. According to an cooperating with the U.S. government, workers were changing shifts, killing 67 Associated Press report, “Al-Saymari, as many of the guests at the party of them. Pakistan’s Taliban movement 38, was a follower of Iraq’s top Shiite included police and military officials, claimed credit for the attack. – National leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, along with men affiliated with the “Sons Post, August 21; AP, August 23 a moderate. Al-Saymari was known as of Iraq” movement. – Los Angeles Times, a critic of extremists and armed groups August 25 August 21, 2008 (TURKEY): A car in Basra, particularly the Mahdi Army bomb exploded as a police bus passed militia of al-Sistani’s rival, radical Shiite August 24, 2008 (IRAQ): A 13-year-old by in the Turkish coastal city of Izmir, leader Muqtada al-Sadr.” It was not girl wearing an explosives vest turned injuring at least 16 people, including at immediately clear who was responsible herself into the Iraqi police in Ba`quba, least eight police officers.