EU Security Commissioner Warns Of Influx Of Jihadists From Mosul

October 18, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

The European Union should be prepared for an influx of jihadists if the so-called Islamic State (IS) is driven out of its Iraqi stronghold, Mosul, the EU's security commissioner warns.

Julian King told Germany's Die Welt newspaper that even a small number of militants would pose "a serious threat that we must prepare ourselves for".

Iraqi forces launched what is expected to be a lengthy offensive on Monday. As many as 5,000 IS fighters are believed to remain in Mosul.

Twenty One Chibok Schoolgirls Reunited With Families

October 17, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Twenty-one schoolgirls who had been kidnapped by the Islamist group Boko Haram in the Nigerian town of Chibok have been reunited with their families.

In an emotional ceremony in the capital Abuja, one of the girls said they had survived for 40 days without food and narrowly escaped death at least once.

It is unclear how the release was negotiated, but an official says talks are under way to free some more girls.

Prison Holding 100 Jihadists In Niger Attacked By Islamist Militants

October 17, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

An attack by Islamist militants on a high-security prison in Niger holding about 100 jihadists has been foiled, government spokesman Marou Amadou says.

Fighting at Koutoukale, 50km (31 miles) north-west of the capital, Niamey, was reported at dawn. Mr Amadou said the attackers were from the Mali-based al-Qaeda splinter group Mujao.

Last week, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was in Niger in part to offer security help.

Iraq And Kurdish Fighters Make Gains In The Retake Of Mosul

October 17, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Iraqi pro-government forces have made gains at the start of a large-scale operation to retake Mosul, the last major stronghold of the so-called Islamic State (IS) in the country.

Iraqi government troops and Kurdish fighters launched their push towards the city in the early hours of Monday.

IS seized Mosul during a lightning offensive in June 2014. Correspondents say the battle will be difficult and could take months. The UN has expressed concern for civilians. The Kurds seized several villages in the first few hours of the operation.

Drones Could Potentially Be Used As Terror Weapons

October 14, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

You could call it a demonstration of the proliferation of drone use with frightening possibilities.

Last week's attack in northern Iraq in which a small drone exploded killing two Peshmerga fighters and badly wounding two members of the French special forces, marks something of an innovation in modern warfare.

The US launched the first armed drone attack back in October 2001. Since then the use of armed drones has been the preserve of the most sophisticated military actors in the world.

12 Soldiers Killed By IS At Sinai Peninsula

October 14, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Suspected Islamist militants have killed 12 soldiers and injured eight in an attack on an army checkpoint in the Sinai Peninsula, Egyptian security sources say.

The army says 15 militants were also killed in the attack, which took place near the town of Bir al-Abd. Gunmen from the Sinai Province group are reported to be behind the attack. It is Egypt's most active insurgent group, which pledged allegiance to so-called Islamic State in 2014.

Terror Suspect Jaber al-Bakr Hangs Himself In German Prison

October 13, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

The death in a prison cell of a Syrian refugee suspected of planning a bomb attack in Germany is a judicial scandal, his lawyer has said.

Jaber al-Bakr, 22, hanged himself in a jail in Leipzig with his shirt and the government has demanded an immediate inquiry. His lawyer said the prison was aware Bakr was a suicide risk after he was captured on Monday. However, regional authorities said he had not been considered an acute risk.

Foreign Spies Responsible For Hacking Australia Weather Bureau

October 12, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

An official report has concluded that foreign spies were behind a cyber attack on the Australian Bureau of Meteorology's computer system.

The report provides new details on the 2015 attack on the BoM, which owns one of Australia's largest supercomputers.

The Australian Broadcasting Corp previously quoted officials blaming China for the hack, which China denied. The weather bureau produces scientific research information which is valuable to other countries. Among other services, it gives climate information to commercial airlines and shipping, analyses national water supplies, gathers climate da…

Lawyers Of Paris Attacker Will No Longer Defend Him

October 12, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Lawyers for the main suspect in last year's Islamist attacks in Paris say they will no longer defend him as he has chosen to remain silent.

Salah Abdeslam is angered at being placed under 24-hour video surveillance, Frank Berton told BFM TV."We said from the beginning... that if our client remained silent we would quit his defence," he said alongside fellow lawyer Sven Mary.

The attacks in Paris last November killed 130 people.

Police Respond To Killer Clown Incidents Sweeping The Country

October 11, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

You're on your way home. It's dark. Out of the corner of your eye you see a figure lurking menacingly. As your eyes adjust to the gloom, the figure eases into focus - it's a clown.

Clown sightings have become an increasingly common occurrence in the US, Australia and Canada. And, fuelled by social media, they are now on the rise in the UK too.

Professional Clowns Hit Out At Pranksters

Thames Valley Police responded to 14 separate clown-related incidents on Sunday, while in Norwich, a man was arrested after an incident in which someone dressed as a clown terrified a woman in a park.