ISIS Linked Attacks around the Globe
In case you missed it, there have been several attacks on foreign cities in the last three to four days. Here’s a comprehensive list of the events making headlines from this past weekend.
Vehicle Attack in Stockholm - Friday, April 7
Sweden’s government is doing everything it can to ensure its deadliest attack in seven decades doesn’t lead to a mood of fear in the usually open society.
On Friday, a man hijacked a large truck and barreled through the Stockholm’s busiest pedestrian shopping strip. Four people were killed and dozens more were injured.
The police have identified the man as a 39-year-old from Uzbekistan and also told reporters at a press conference they are confident a second man was involved. They are currently holding five people in connection to the attack.
Police say they have reason to believe the man who drove the truck into the shopping center was sympathetic to the Islamic State.
Norway Explosive Case – Saturday, April 8
On Saturday, police in Norway were able to successfully disarm a “primitive improvised explosive device with limited damage potential” found near a busy subway station in Norway’s capital, Oslo.
A 17-year-old asylum-seeker from Russia was arrested and detained on suspicion of handling explosives, but investigators do not know if he planned to carry out an attack with the homemade device.
“PST is working now on finding his intentions and find out whether others are involved,” Signe Aaling, chief prosecutor of Norway’s PST security service said.
The security service alleged that the teen, who has not been named, was part of “extreme Islamism” circles and was arrested based on a tip from the public.
The teen’s attorney says her client denies any wrongdoing and has distanced himself from the Islamic State Group.
Egypt Church Bombings – Sunday, April 9
Egypt has declared a state of emergency after two suicide bombings that killed 44 people at two separate churches in Egypt on Palm Sunday.
The attacks constituted one of the deadliest days of violence against Christians in Egypt in decades and presented a challenge of security to the country’s leader, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who declared the three-month state of emergency immediately after the bombings.
On Sunday, Sisi deployed troops to protect churches across the country just weeks before a planned visit by Pope Francis. He rushed to assure fearful Christians that fear cannot protect them against extremists.
The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks which also injured over 100 more people and occurred just a week before Easter.
The first bombing was in Tanta, a Nile city about 60 miles north of Cairo. The bombing tore through the inside of St. George church during its Palm Sunday service, killing 27 people and injuring 78 more.
Just a few hours later, a second church in Alexandria was hit by a similar suicide bombing killing 17 people, including three police officers, and injuring 48 more.