French authorities have successfully prevented three separate terror plots targeting the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, including a planned attack on Israeli institutions during the Games. Five individuals, including a minor, have been arrested in connection with these plots and are facing terrorism-related charges.
The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for a suicide attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, that killed at least six people and injured 13 others. The attack, which targeted the Taliban government’s prosecution service, comes despite the Taliban’s claims of having suppressed the IS group. The attack highlights the ongoing threat posed by ISKP, the regional branch of the Islamic State, in Afghanistan.
A group of prisoners, identifying themselves as Islamic State militants, launched a violent attack on guards in a Russian penal colony, taking hostages and causing multiple casualties. The attack occurred in a high-security prison in the Volgograd region and comes amidst a recent surge in Islamist militant activity in Russia.
Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a group linked to the Islamic State, has killed at least 12 people in several villages in North Kivu, eastern Congo. The attack, which occurred on Saturday, follows a recent surge in violence by the ADF, who are suspected of several massacres in recent years. The ongoing conflict in eastern Congo has displaced millions and highlighted the challenges in tackling armed groups vying for control of land and resources.
Austrian authorities arrested two suspects in a foiled plot to attack Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna. The suspects, aged 19 and 17, planned to use knives and homemade explosives to attack outside the stadium. Authorities found Islamic State and Al-Qaeda materials at the home of the younger suspect, who was employed by a facility company providing services at the venue. The arrests came after the main suspect confessed to his attack plans.
An Iraqi court has sentenced one of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi’s widows to death for her role in the kidnapping and enslavement of Yazidi women by the Islamic State group. The court found that the woman, identified as Asma Mohammed, facilitated the abduction of Yazidi women from the Sinjar region in 2014. The ruling comes as Iraq commemorates the 10-year anniversary of the IS attacks on Yazidis.
Despite losing its last stronghold in Syria in 2019, the Islamic State (IS) has continued to launch deadly attacks, killing nearly 4,100 people in the country since then. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that the majority of the victims are soldiers, government loyalists, and Kurdish-led fighters, but civilians have also been killed. The group has been active in the Badia desert, carrying out bombings, ambushes, and targeted operations. IS has sustained heavy losses since 2019 but remains a significant threat in Syria.
The UN cultural agency, UNESCO, discovered five explosive devices hidden within the walls of the historic al-Nouri Mosque in Mosul, Iraq, delaying ongoing reconstruction efforts. The bombs, remnants of the Islamic State’s rule, were found concealed within a rebuilt section of the mosque’s prayer hall. Iraqi authorities have secured the area and are working to disarm the devices, prompting UNESCO to halt all reconstruction operations at the mosque.
Suspected Islamist rebels attacked a village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, killing at least 10 people. The attack was carried out by members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a group that has pledged allegiance to Islamic State. The ADF has been responsible for numerous attacks in the region, further destabilizing an area where many militant groups are active.
The Islamic State group’s attack on tourists in Bamiyan, Afghanistan, has dealt a significant blow to the country’s emerging tourism industry. The tragic incident, which claimed six lives, including three Spanish tourists, has raised concerns about the safety of foreign travelers in Afghanistan. The Taliban authorities, who have been promoting improved security, now face renewed challenges in safeguarding tourists.
