Greece/United Kingdom – On the 2 Nov 14 authorities in Cyprus were reportedly on alert after receiving information from foreign secret services that Islamic State jihadists are planning to hijack airplanes in Cyprus. A report says that the airports of Larnaca and Paphos are on alert based on information by foreign secret services that IS jihadists plan to hijack a Cyprus Airlines plane and take hostages. The information says that jihadists plan to take the plane to an airport in Syria or Iraq that is under IS control and then use the hostages to negotiate with Great Britain. The jihadists will use the hostages in order to demand that Cyprus will not allow Great Britain’s Royal Air Force to use the British bases in Cyprus to launch air raids against the areas in Syria and Iraq where jihadists have control. According to the report, secret services say that the IS has similar plans for Greece and Great Britain. Cypriot Police have been put on alert in the airports of Larnaca and Paphos and are ordered to do thorough searches on all passengers and baggage. The official alert was terminated on the 4 Nov 14, however police remain on alert as Cyprus’ secret services continue to gather information on suspects who are related to the jihadists. In both airports, passengers who are European citizens but are of Arabic origin are thoroughly searched. Secret services say that some of them plan to cross to the Turkish-occupied zone and cross to Syria from there. Cypriot authorities say that in the last few days they performed searches on cargo at the Limassol Port. A cargo ship with destination Syria was searched to see if it was carrying any materials that can be used to make explosives. It was released after no such materials were found.
Norway – It is likely that a terrorist attack will be attempted in Norway in the next 12 months, and there is an increased threat to military, police, security service and intelligence personnel as well as political decision-makers, the Norwegian Police Security Service (Politiets Sikkerhetstjeneste: PST) said on the 5 Nov 14. The updated terrorism threat assessment for 2014 cited the 21 September video released by the Islamic State calling specifically for attacks against military personnel and members of the police, security and intelligence services in countries supporting the United States in its fight against the group. The Norwegian government at the end of Sep 14 decided to send 120 soldiers to Iraq.
Republic of Ireland – A suspected underground bomb-making factory had been unearthed outside Dublin, after the owner of a storage facility found two men mixing chemicals on his property. Army experts were eventually called in after the police disagreed that the mixing that was going on was nothing to do with drugs. Army EOD believed that the chemicals that were being mixed were to do with explosives and for making explosive devices. 361 COMMENT: The devices once made would have been transported to the north and used against the security forces. With no border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland this would have been an easy logistics move. If dissident republicans were planning on a planned terrorist drive in the build up to Christmas is one possibility or it could have been to have a ceasefire and then start the New Year to break with 2014 campaign and the 2015 campaign similar to what the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) carried out in the past. COMMENT ENDS
United Kingdom – Homes had been evacuated in Londonderry, Northern Ireland following a dissident republican pipe bomb attack on police officers. A passing police patrol vehicle was damaged when a device was thrown at it in the Creggan Heights area on the 2 Nov 14. The PSNI vehicle, an un-armoured four-wheel-drive, was travelling along Circular Road when there was a loud explosion from the left hand side of the vehicle. The suspected pipe bomb bounced off the vehicle and ignited in the garden of a nearby house. Dissident republicans have been widely blamed for the attack. The incident came on a weekend when two men were shot in the legs in paramilitary-style attacks in Londonderry - crimes that have also been blamed on dissidents.
A device fired at a police vehicle in Londonderry is understood to have been a mortar it was reported on the 4 Nov 14. Chief Supt Stephen Cargin also said he believed that dissident republicans in the city now had among their ranks an experienced bomb-maker. He said the "increased level of sophistication" of devices used in three recent attacks in the city "is a really worrying development". The projectile is understood to have been a mortar, fired by command wire. Chief Supt Cargin was speaking the day after two police officers on routine patrol at Circular Road in Creggan escaped injury when their armour-plated Discovery Land Rover took a direct hit from the mortar. There is a concerned worry that an upsurge in terrorist activity is occurring in the area with police officers being targeted and attacked with pressure plate booby-trap bombs, secondary devices including trip wires. Devices are said to contain significant amounts of explosives which says they are serious regarding obtaining the fatal injury of members of the security forces. Recently a house takeover of a pensioner happened in order for the terrorists to attack the civilian police. The police said that the nature and sophistication of the devices is a worrying development and a growing concern. The tactics of luring police officers into bomb traps and using secondary devices was used many times in the past by the PIRA; these tactics have recently emerged again. 361 COMMENT: In the past the terrorist groups in NI have used Explosive Formed Projectiles (EFP). The device that has been described as a mortar may have been an EFP. The ‘sophistication’ and the fact that the terrorists have an experienced bomb maker would suggest that the device may have been a lot more complicated in structure than a mortar. The bomb maker may have had training with an experienced group who are familiar with the construction of such a device. This would be a worrying trend for the PSNI. COMMENT ENDS.
Four men have been arrested by police investigating an alleged Islamist plot to carry out an attack in the UK it was reported on the 7 Nov 14. A 27-year-old man was detained at gunpoint in the street in west London on the evening of the 6 Nov 14. Two others were arrested at addresses in the west of the capital and another in the Thames Valley, at a location believed to be in High Wycombe. A number of locations and vehicles in those areas were searched by police officers. The men - aged between 22 and 27 - were taken to police stations in central London. Scotland Yard said the arrests and subsequent searches were part of an "ongoing investigation into Islamist-related terrorism". Although very little information was given by the police it is believed sources are suggesting it is linked to an alleged extremist plot against the UK."
Four Islamic terrorists planned to kill the Queen of England the weekend of 8/9 Nov 14 but British police foiled the assassination plot it was reported on the 7 Nov 14. The anarchist assassins intended to stab Queen Elizabeth II as the country celebrated 100 years since the start of World War I (an annual British event, see 361 Security Forthcoming significant dates 31 Oct 14) with numerous public appearances by her Royal Highness. British police discovered the murder plot by the four terrorists, ranging in age from 19 to 27, and conducted multiple raids in West London and Buckinghamshire to thwart their plan. The police believe the suspected terrorists planned to use a knife to kill the 88-year-old Queen, but also think they likely had access to firearms. Officials made Queen Elizabeth and Prime Minister David Cameron aware of the potential threat, but her Royal Highness continued in her plans to attend the weekend’s remembrance of those who had fallen in all conflicts since World War One.
Norway – It is likely that a terrorist attack will be attempted in Norway in the next 12 months, and there is an increased threat to military, police, security service and intelligence personnel as well as political decision-makers, the Norwegian Police Security Service (Politiets Sikkerhetstjeneste: PST) said on the 5 Nov 14. The updated terrorism threat assessment for 2014 cited the 21 September video released by the Islamic State calling specifically for attacks against military personnel and members of the police, security and intelligence services in countries supporting the United States in its fight against the group. The Norwegian government at the end of Sep 14 decided to send 120 soldiers to Iraq.
Republic of Ireland – A suspected underground bomb-making factory had been unearthed outside Dublin, after the owner of a storage facility found two men mixing chemicals on his property. Army experts were eventually called in after the police disagreed that the mixing that was going on was nothing to do with drugs. Army EOD believed that the chemicals that were being mixed were to do with explosives and for making explosive devices. 361 COMMENT: The devices once made would have been transported to the north and used against the security forces. With no border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland this would have been an easy logistics move. If dissident republicans were planning on a planned terrorist drive in the build up to Christmas is one possibility or it could have been to have a ceasefire and then start the New Year to break with 2014 campaign and the 2015 campaign similar to what the Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) carried out in the past. COMMENT ENDS
United Kingdom – Homes had been evacuated in Londonderry, Northern Ireland following a dissident republican pipe bomb attack on police officers. A passing police patrol vehicle was damaged when a device was thrown at it in the Creggan Heights area on the 2 Nov 14. The PSNI vehicle, an un-armoured four-wheel-drive, was travelling along Circular Road when there was a loud explosion from the left hand side of the vehicle. The suspected pipe bomb bounced off the vehicle and ignited in the garden of a nearby house. Dissident republicans have been widely blamed for the attack. The incident came on a weekend when two men were shot in the legs in paramilitary-style attacks in Londonderry - crimes that have also been blamed on dissidents.
A device fired at a police vehicle in Londonderry is understood to have been a mortar it was reported on the 4 Nov 14. Chief Supt Stephen Cargin also said he believed that dissident republicans in the city now had among their ranks an experienced bomb-maker. He said the "increased level of sophistication" of devices used in three recent attacks in the city "is a really worrying development". The projectile is understood to have been a mortar, fired by command wire. Chief Supt Cargin was speaking the day after two police officers on routine patrol at Circular Road in Creggan escaped injury when their armour-plated Discovery Land Rover took a direct hit from the mortar. There is a concerned worry that an upsurge in terrorist activity is occurring in the area with police officers being targeted and attacked with pressure plate booby-trap bombs, secondary devices including trip wires. Devices are said to contain significant amounts of explosives which says they are serious regarding obtaining the fatal injury of members of the security forces. Recently a house takeover of a pensioner happened in order for the terrorists to attack the civilian police. The police said that the nature and sophistication of the devices is a worrying development and a growing concern. The tactics of luring police officers into bomb traps and using secondary devices was used many times in the past by the PIRA; these tactics have recently emerged again. 361 COMMENT: In the past the terrorist groups in NI have used Explosive Formed Projectiles (EFP). The device that has been described as a mortar may have been an EFP. The ‘sophistication’ and the fact that the terrorists have an experienced bomb maker would suggest that the device may have been a lot more complicated in structure than a mortar. The bomb maker may have had training with an experienced group who are familiar with the construction of such a device. This would be a worrying trend for the PSNI. COMMENT ENDS.
Four men have been arrested by police investigating an alleged Islamist plot to carry out an attack in the UK it was reported on the 7 Nov 14. A 27-year-old man was detained at gunpoint in the street in west London on the evening of the 6 Nov 14. Two others were arrested at addresses in the west of the capital and another in the Thames Valley, at a location believed to be in High Wycombe. A number of locations and vehicles in those areas were searched by police officers. The men - aged between 22 and 27 - were taken to police stations in central London. Scotland Yard said the arrests and subsequent searches were part of an "ongoing investigation into Islamist-related terrorism". Although very little information was given by the police it is believed sources are suggesting it is linked to an alleged extremist plot against the UK."
Four Islamic terrorists planned to kill the Queen of England the weekend of 8/9 Nov 14 but British police foiled the assassination plot it was reported on the 7 Nov 14. The anarchist assassins intended to stab Queen Elizabeth II as the country celebrated 100 years since the start of World War I (an annual British event, see 361 Security Forthcoming significant dates 31 Oct 14) with numerous public appearances by her Royal Highness. British police discovered the murder plot by the four terrorists, ranging in age from 19 to 27, and conducted multiple raids in West London and Buckinghamshire to thwart their plan. The police believe the suspected terrorists planned to use a knife to kill the 88-year-old Queen, but also think they likely had access to firearms. Officials made Queen Elizabeth and Prime Minister David Cameron aware of the potential threat, but her Royal Highness continued in her plans to attend the weekend’s remembrance of those who had fallen in all conflicts since World War One.
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