Bombing In Turkish Capital Ankara Kills 36

March 14, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has vowed to bring terrorism "to its knees" after an attack in the capital Ankara that killed at least 36 people.

Mr Erdogan said the suicide car bomb would serve only to strengthen the resolve of Turkey's security forces. At least one suspected bomber, who sources say was a female member of the Kurdish rebel PKK, also died.

Former Russian Aide To Putin Died Of Head Injuries In US Hotel

March 11, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

A former aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin who was found dead in a US hotel four months ago died of head injuries, US coroners say.

Mikhail Lesin, 57, also had blunt force injuries to the neck, torso, arms and legs, Washington DC's chief medical examiner said. However the examiner did not conclude how the injuries had been sustained.

At the time, Russian media had reported Lesin's death in Washington as a suspected heart attack. Lesin was for a long time considered one of the most influential figures on the Russian media scene and in the corridors of power.

IS Stolen Files Thought To Be Genuine

March 11, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Germany's interior minister has said stolen files detailing hundreds of recruits to the Islamic State militant group can be assumed to be genuine.

Thomas de Maiziere said the information could help with prosecutions of IS fighters, and help prevent future recruitment to the militant group. Files obtained by German, UK and Syrian opposition media are said to identify IS recruits from at least 40 countries.

IS Top Commander Believed To Have Survived US Air Strike

March 11, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

A top commander of so-called Islamic State (IS) may have survived a recent US air strike in north-eastern Syria, US defence officials in Iraq say.

Omar Shishani, a Georgian whose real name is Tarkhan Batirashvili, may have "limped away" from the bombing, a US spokesman said. Twelve of 13 people targeted in the attack are known to have died, the spokesman said. There has so far been no comment from IS over Shishani's fate.

Last year, the US offered a $5m (£3.5m) reward for Shishani who, it said, had held numerous top military positions within the group, including "minister of war".

US Captures IS Chemical Expert

March 10, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

A chemical weapons expert from the Islamic State (IS) group in Iraq has been captured by US special forces and is being questioned, reports say.

The man was once a specialist in chemical and biological weapons for Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi leader overthrown by the US invasion in 2003, Iraqi and US sources told US media.

Hatton Garden Jewellery Raid Gang Sentenced

March 10, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Five men have been jailed for up to seven years for the £14m Hatton Garden safety deposit box jewellery raid.

Three ringleaders behind the heist in London's jewellery quarter during Easter 2015 each received seven years. Two other men, Carl Wood and William Lincoln, were given six and seven years respectively.

Guns Discovered From Dublin Hotel Shooting

March 10, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

A man has been arrested in the Republic of Ireland after police found three guns suspected to have been used in a shooting at a Dublin hotel last month.

David Byrne was shot dead and two other men were injured when gunmen opened fire at a boxing weigh-in event at the Regency Hotel on 5 February. On Wednesday, three AK 47 rifles were discovered when armed officers stopped a car near Slane in County Meath.

Irish broadcaster RTÉ said the man who was arrested is from County Donegal. It said the guns were now being examined to establish if they were used in the Dublin shooting.

Death Of Criminal John Palmer A Professional Hit

March 10, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

The shooting of a notorious criminal "bears all the hallmarks of a professional hit", police have said.

John "Goldfinger" Palmer, 65, who allegedly amassed a fortune in a time-share scam, was shot six times in the chest at his South Weald home in June. Essex Police said they believed his killer climbed over a fence and shot him in an area not covered by CCTV.

IS Commander Target Of US Air Strike In Syria Last Week

March 9, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

The US military says it targeted a top commander of so-called Islamic State in an air strike in Syria last week.

An initial assessment suggested Tarkhan Batirashvili, a Georgian known as Omar Shishani, was likely killed along with 12 other militants, officials said.

The strike took place on Friday near the north-eastern town of Shaddadi, where Shishani had reportedly been sent to bolster local IS forces. There was no immediate confirmation of his death from IS or its supporters. The US had offered a $5m (£3.5m) reward for Shishani, who it declared a specially designated global terrorist in Septe…

al-Shabab Claims Recent Attack Was Foiled

March 9, 2016 / By Armoured Cars / In security

Militant Islamist group al-Shabab has said it fought off an attack by foreign forces on one of its bases in southern Somalia.

One fighter was reportedly killed in the overnight raid, carried out by two helicopters.

The al-Qaeda-affiliated militant group has not identified the nationality of the troops involved in the operation. Several countries have been supporting Somali officials in their efforts to combat al-Shabab's insurgency.