ICT Report: Monthly Terrorist Activities
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The following is a summary and analysis of the terrorist attacks and counter-terrorism operations that occurred during July 2013, researched and recorded by the ICT Database Team. The following are among the most important events occurring this month:
On 6 July, suspected Boko Haram militants attacked a boarding school in Mamudo, Nigeria, killing 29 students and one teacher. In a 10-minute video message released on 13 July, Boko Haram leader Abubakr Shekau expressed his full support for the attack without actually taking responsibility for it.
On 7 July, a series of low-intensity bombs targeted the Mahabodhi Temple complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Bodh Gaya, India. Four explosions occurred inside the temple complex, three others targeted a nearby monastery, and one occurred near a statue of the Buddha. Two other bombs were defused. Five people were injured in the attacks, two of them monks. No group claimed responsibility for the attacks.
On 7 July, British Home Secretary Theresa May announced that Abu Qatada had been deported to Jordan, where he faces charges of terrorism and conspiracy to carry out terrorist acts, which he denies. Jordanian authorities held Abu Qatada for 15 days at Muwaqar I, a high security prison, pending further questioning.
iHLS – Israel Homeland Security
On 22 July, the European Union Parliament agreed to designate the military wing of Hezbollah illegal, and to hold it responsible for terrorist attacks in Europe. Although the decision was unanimously ratified by the EU’s 28 member states, actual sanctions may not be imposed immediately. The designation makes it illegal for anyone in Europe to channel money to Hezbollah, and allows the group’s assets to be frozen.
On 23 July, a team of suicide bombers and militants armed with mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns attacked the Abu Ghraib and Al-Taji Prisons, located to the west and north of Baghdad, respectively. The attack spurred rioting and arson among inmates, and resulted in a large-scale jail break. According to authorities, 21 inmates and at least eight prison guards were killed, and 25 inmates and 14 guards were wounded. According to the Iraqi Ministry of the Interior, more than 500 suspected militants escaped.
On 27 July, the Egyptian military launched a wide-scale operation against militants in the northern Sinai Peninsula, dubbed Operation Desert Storm. According to authorities, ten militants were killed and 20 were captured during the 48-hour operation, which was launched in response to the near daily attacks on security forces.
On 30 July, Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) militants armed with mortars and grenades and disguised in police uniforms raided the central prison in Dera Ismail Khan, Pakistan, freeing approximately 250 inmates. Twelve people were killed in the attack, but the majority of the attackers escaped. Authorities re-arrested nine escaped prisoners, and launched a manhunt for the other escapees and the attackers.
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