Latest Terrorism Focus Articles
Responsibility for Bombings in Western Turkey Disputed by PKK and the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons
Two terrorist attacks committed in Turkish port cities in only three days, one in Mersin (on the Mediterranean coast of southern Turkey) on August 19 and the second in Izmir (formerly known as Smyrna, on the Aegean Sea) on August 21, have highlighted the difficulty... MORE
Who is Behind the Bombing of the Salafi Mosque in Baku?
Three people were killed and 13 wounded in the bombing of Baku’s Abu Bakr mosque during evening prayer on August 17. Witnesses claimed that a young man threw a grenade into the mosque where up to 200 people were praying. The assailant was able to... MORE
India’s Strategic Challenge in Pakistan’s Afghan Hinterland
A defining characteristic of U.S. and Western foreign policy during the Cold War and its aftermath before 9/11 was its failure to integrate counter-terrorism into strategic perceptions, policies, and goals. Terrorism was hived into a compartment of its own where it was not seen as... MORE
Colombia’s FARC Escalate Operations to Demonstrate Their Will to Continue the Armed Struggle
The Colombian government inflicted a substantial blow’s to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) on July 2 when they successfully executed military “Operation Jaque” (Operation Checkmate), leading to the rescue of 15 hostages previously held captive by the armed group. Among the freed hostages... MORE
Technological Innovation and the Turkish Armed Forces’ War on the PKK
How does the introduction of new technologies affect the search for alternatives in counter-terrorism operations? To answer this question, we examine the changing characteristics of terror attacks carried out by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) since 2004 and the means employed by the Turkish Armed... MORE
Istanbul Bombings Suggest PKK Insurgency May Be Entering a More Ruthless Phase
The July bombings in Istanbul have raised concerns that the 24 year-old insurgency of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) may be entering a new, more ruthless phase. At around 9:45 PM on July 27, a percussion bomb exploded in a garbage can on Menderes Caddesi,... MORE
India’s Security Agencies Struggle with Probe into Serial Bombings in Gujarat and Karnataka
Intelligence and crime investigation units from eight Indian states as well as three federal agencies - the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) - are busy sifting through evidence for clues to the group or groups involved... MORE
Restructuring al-Qaeda’s Algerian Insurgency
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the North African branch of al-Qaeda, has been driven to the wall. Despite a new suicide attack that injured 25 on Sunday morning in Tizi Ouzou, Kabylie, the Algerian-based group is facing difficulties that could endanger its very existence... MORE
Political Consensus Missing in Establishment of U.S. Military Bases in Iraqi Kurdistan
Recent reports suggest that the United States may establish long-term military bases in Iraqi Kurdistan. According to the Gulf News, “U.S. forces could be stationed permanently in Kurdistan as part of a long-term security agreement, top Kurdish political sources revealed... The Iraqi government and head... MORE
Al-Qaeda’s Military Chief in Afghanistan Views the Ongoing Insurgency with Optimism
Pakistan’s GEO News TV correspondent Najeeb Ahmed interviewed al-Qaeda’s operations commander in Afghanistan, Mustafa Abu-al-Yazid (a.k.a. Shaykh Sa’id), at an undisclosed location in Afghanistan on July 21. Abu-Yazid’s performance was a strongly confident one, notable for its contrast with the grim presentation he made in... MORE