counter terrorism

A man with 12-inch knife went on a stabbing rage, shouting "Allahu Akbar" and stabbed three people. The officers at the British Transport Police(BTP) were reportedly called at 8:52pm to the crime scene, and two people have reportedly been taken to the hospital for knife wounds in their shoulders.

                           

According to a BBC producer, Mr Clack, 38 who was at the Manchester Victoria railway station at the time of the incident, he said;

What it looked like was a guy in his 60s with a woman of similar age and another guy all dressed in black. It looked like they were having a fight but she was screaming in this blood-curdling way.

I saw police in high-vis come towards him. He came towards me. I looked down and saw he had a kitchen knife with a black handle with a good 12-inch blade. It was just fear, pure fear.

The woman had injuries to her face and abdomen, and the man had injuries to his abdomen. A BTP Officer was also stabbed in his shoulder, and was later released from hospital.

                                          

The investigation about the incident is now being led by the counter-terrorism police, and Assistant Chief Constable Rob Pottis have said while the night event might have people worried or stressed, the event is not ongoing, and the suspect is now in custody, and no longer a threat to the society.

 

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With the start of the New Year, Donald Trump is letting go of Iran for now, and directing his latest tweet to Pakistan, labeling the country a haven for terrorist. The latest tweet comes as the US is looking to stop giving $255 million in aids to the country for showing no effort in fighting terrorism.

In his tweet, President Trump wrote;

                  

Mr Trump in many of his speeches has condemned the Pakistani government of allowing terrorist the use of the country as a safe haven, especially terrorists that the US are trying to hunt down in Afghanistan. In a speech in Washington in August, Donald Trump said;

We can no longer be silent about Pakistan’s safe havens for terrorist organisations, the Taliban, and other groups that pose a threat to the region and beyond. Pakistan has much to gain from partnering with our effort in Afghanistan. It has much to lose by continuing to harbour terrorists.

The US has now conditioned to release the money to Pakistan only if it joins the effort of the US to crack down on terrorist networks. 

The New York Times have reported that the recent development is the Pakistan government refusing access to a captured Taliban-linked Haqqani network militant. 

The militant was arrested last week by the Pakistani forces after they rescued a Canadian-American family, and the US had hoped that the Pakistani forces would allow access to the militant so he could provide more information about other American hostages, but instead were denied.

Also, in November, the Pakistani government releases a suspect who was said to have masterminded an attack in Mumbai that killed 160 people in 2008.

According to Sarah Huckabee-Sanders, while commenting on the suspect released by the Pakistan government, she said;

If Pakistan does not take action to lawfully detain Saeed and charge him for his crimes, its inaction will have repercussions for bilateral relations and for Pakistan’s global reputation.

Pakistan authorities have drafted plans to seize control of the charities and any financial assets that is linked to the Islamist leader, who in Washington has been marked as terrorist.

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50 people have been confirmed dead and another 406 injured after a gunman attacked an outdoor country music festival in Las Vegas on Sunday night. 

                          

The shooter identified as  Stephen Paddock, 64, of Mesquite, Nevada, shoot his gun from the 32nd floor of a glitzy hotel, sending more than 22,000 concert goers into panic mode. According to a witness, Meghan Kearney, who spoke to MSNBC, said;

We heard what sounded like firecrackers going off. Then all of a sudden we heard what sounded like a machine gun. People started screaming that they were hit… When we started running out there were probably a couple hundred [people] on the ground.

People kept dropping and dropping… People were getting shot one foot away from us. People were trying to save their friends. There were gunshots everywhere. Helping them would’ve meant that we got shot, too.

      

It is not clear if Paddock had specifically booked a room facing the concert, but police stormed his room after 10pm, and according to police officers, he had killed himself. 

The shootings started when Jason Aldean was onstage. A police officer was shot, and according to Sheriff Joseph Lombardo, off-duty policemen were part of the killed and injured in the shootings.

Police have arrested Marilou Danley, 62, who was in the room with Paddock, and also a Hyundai Tuscon and a Chrysler Pacifica Touring related to the investigation have now been found. Police also found around 10 rifles in the room, and also explosives were said to be in the room of the shooter.

This is the biggest case of domestic terrorism in the United States.

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Several people have now been reported injured injured after a van rammed into several people in Barcelona's Las Ramblas tourist area, and emergency services are now warning people to stay away from the Plaça de Catalunya area.

According to Reuters, emergency services have now ordered the closure of local metro and train stations. People are also reported to be taking cover in shops and cafes.

                

Steven Turner who works around the area spoke to BBC about the incident. He said;

People in my office saw a van ramming into people on Las Ramblas.I saw about three or four people lying on the ground. There are lots of ambulances and armed police with assault rifles around now.

The driver of the van later fled on foot after ramming into the crowds.

Another eyewitness of the incident, Aamer Anwar said;

All of a sudden, I just sort of heard a crashing noise and the whole street just started to run, screaming. I saw a woman right next to me screaming for her kids. Police were very, very quickly there, police officers with guns, batons, everywhere. Then the whole street started getting pushed back.

Police officers who got there just started screaming at people to move back, move back.

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In a suspected terror attack on a Mosque in London, a man rams his truck into people, killing one and injuring several others. According to a recent report, 8 people have now been taken to the hospital, and two were treated at the scene.

            

The driver of the van, a man, 48, was detained by the police before police arrival. According to the metropolitan spokesperson;

He has been taken to hospital as a precaution, and will be taken into custody once discharged. He will also be subject of a mental health assessment in due course.

Scotland Yard has now deployed armed policemen to the scene, while the counter terrorism command carry out investigation of the incident.

According to witnesses at the scene, the vehicle veered off the road into worshippers leaving the mosque after midnight.

A woman who lives opposite the scene, while speaking to BBC said;

From the window, I started hearing a lot of yelling and screeching, a lot of chaos outside.Everybody was shouting: 'A van'has hit people, a van hit people. There was this white van stopped outside Finsbury Park mosque that seemed to have hit people who were coming out after prayers had finished.

Passers-by said that the crowd was trying to give a man who had collapsed by the pavement CPR, and the fan arrived to hit them. When the man later left the van, he was restrained by people, and was handed over to the police when they came around.

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Armed men have been deployed ahead of England Vs Scotland game today after a terror alert. The police will patrol Hampden Park stadium in Glasgow, and armed cops have doubled ahead of major public events in response to the London Bridge attack.

                      

The Scottish Football Association will also set up barricade to the stadium that will allow only people with tickets to go inside the stadium. Also the police will be looking to search more than 50,000 people, but it is not sure yet if Bollards will be installed around the arena to stop potentially dangerous vehicles from plowing into the crowds.

Speaking on the safety of the fans in the clash, British transport police chief John McBridge said that there will be "zero tolerance" approach towards any anti-social or criminal behaviour.

The Hampden Park safety officer Brian Muir while speaking to Sky News also said;

There’s a balance between terrorism measures and the normal measures we take, and there’s no doubt there’s an increased security aspect based on intelligence about risk groups and their behaviour.

Police will also have special search order to deal with hooligans or thugs looking to wreak havoc at the arena.

Scotland police also said;

We have stepped up security to support the expected large numbers of people in Glasgow this Saturday for the football at Hampden Park. For those attending the game, please plan your journey in advance.

 

 

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A Malaysia Airlines flight MH128 flying from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur was forced to make an emergency landing at 11pm on Wednesday after a passenger attempted to enter the cockpit and hijack the plane while in the air.

The man was later overwhelmed by passengers in the plane, and he was subdued and pin to the ground. Images of the man pinned to the floor, and held by a makeshift handcuff have been shared on social media.

                     

According to a passenger named Vanessa, who with her husband, Andrew was on the flight while speaking to 3AW radio station said that the man threatened to detonate explosives inside the flight, when he then tried to run to different parts of the plane, he was then tackled to the floor by the other passengers in the flight.

The plane made an emergency landing after the man was tackled to the floor, and later sat on the tarmac for more than 2 hrs. Armed guard later invaded the plane and detained the culprit inside the flight.

All flights from Melbourne Tullamarine Airport were grounded, and every other incoming flights were all directed to the nearest Avalon airport, far away from Tasmania.

                      

Malaysia airline confirmed the incident and released a statement, that reads;

Malaysia Airlines flight MH128 of 31 May from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur was forced to turn back to Melbourne due to a disruptive passenger.

MH128 departed Melbourne Airport at 11.11pm and was to arrive Kuala Lumpur at 5.28am on 1 June made a turn back to Melbourne after the operating Captain was alerted by a cabin crew of a passenger attempting to enter the cockpit.

MH128 safely landed in Melbourne Airport at 11.41pm. The aircraft is currently on the remote bay and waiting for security assistance to arrive at the aircraft.

 

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Masked gunmen once again struck on bus carrying Coptic Christians south of the Egyptian capital on Friday, killing 26 people including children, and wounding 26 others. 

The bus travelling to the St. Samuel Monastery in Minya province was attacked  220 kilometres south of the Egyptian capital, when the gunmen that wore military uniforms and masks opened fire on the bus going from Bani Suief to visit the monastery.

               

The attack is yet to be claimed by the ISIS affiliate in Egypt, but security officials believe it goes along the same way of other ISIS attacks in the past.

Security forces have started hunting for the attackers, and the President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has called a meeting with the top-aides to discuss the attack on the people killed.

Last month, a bombing at the country's main Coptic cathedral left 25 people dead. 100 people were also killed when a twin bomb went off as the Coptic Christians celebrates Palm Sunday. ISIS claimed they were responsible for both attacks.

Copts are the Middle East's largest Christian community, and have complained of discriminations, and terrorist attacks in the hands of the Muslim populated country. 

Pope Francis visited Egypt late last month to show support for the Christians attacked by the terrorists, but after the pope left the country, ISIS vowed of increase attacks on the Christians and also Western embassies, and have warned Muslims not to go near those places

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The UK terrorist, Salman Abedi, that killed 22 people, and injured another 119 people after the Ariana Grande sold out concert was reported to police five years ago for always supporting terrorism and had thoughts that "being a suicide bomber was OK".

               

                     UK terrorist suspect, Salman Abedi

According to a colleague who would like to remain unnamed, Salman has been in support of terrorist, and full of their praises, and five years ago, his actions were reported to the police.

After his attack, the counter-terror police arrested his brother, Ismail. Also, his other brother, Hashem and his dad, Ramadan were both arrested by the Libyan counter-terror officers in Tripoli.

                 

                       Salman Abedi's dad

According to the Libyan counter-terror officers, Hashem knew all about his brother's plan, and was also planning his own activity in Tripoli.

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22 People have been confirmed killed at the Ariana Grande concert in Manchester Arena, including an eight-year old child, after a Libyan refugee, Salman Abedi blows up the music concert venue. The explosion also had more than 60 people injured.

                        

Salman Abedi, 22, had fled Libya during Gaddadi regime, and had travelled to the UK with his other 3 siblings and parents. He is also well known to police and intelligence agencies. He was known to have studied Business at Salford University, but seems to have problems with learning and had dropped out without completing his degree.

UK prime minister, Theresa May increased the threat level of Britain from severe to critical, and had said they military could be deployed to help police officers at public events.

Police on Tuesday blows up the door to a building on Elsmore Road, Fallowfield, where Salman stays, and told neighbours to remain indoors as they carry out the raid in this building. 

              

A 23-old man in Manchester has also been arrested in connection to the bombing. The recent bomb blast was the worst attack on British soil since July 7 bombings in London in 2005, where 52 British citizens were killed.

                         

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack which involved a home-made device packed with nuts and bolts, and was detonated as people were leaving the venue of the event.

Mrs May also flew to Manchester to speak with the police and medics helping with the injured.

The eight year old that lost her life in the attack was Saffie Rose Roussos, a student at Tarleton Community Primary School and was described by the Chris Upton of the school as "a beautiful little girl in every aspect of the word"

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