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Tag: ISIS

  • 7 Held Over Melbourne Christmas Day Terrorist Plot

    7 Held Over Melbourne Christmas Day Terrorist Plot

    Police have disrupted a terrorist plot to detonate improvised explosive devices at locations in central Melbourne, possibly on Christmas Day, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says.

    Seven people were arrested overnight at properties in Flemington, Meadow Heights and Dallas in Melbourne over the alleged plot, which police said was inspired by the Islamic State (IS) group.

    Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews described the plot as an “act of evil”, while Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said police had seized “the makings of an improvised explosive device”.

    Speaking at a press conference today, Mr Turnbull said: “Overnight our police and security agencies have disrupted a very substantial terrorist plot.

    “Overnight, the Victoria Police, working with the Australian Federal Police and ASIO, have arrested seven persons, five of whom are still in custody, searched five premises and are continuing to search them.

    “What they have uncovered is a plot to explode improvised explosive devices in central Melbourne in the area of Federation Square, on or about Christmas Day.

    The raids were part of a counter-terrorism operation involving Victoria Police, the Australian Federal Police and ASIO.

    Commissioner Ashton said it was believed a number of people were intending to carry out an attack involving explosives and other weapons.

    “Over the last fortnight … we have had to conduct a criminal investigation relating to the formation of what we believe was a terrorist plot,” he said.

    Police believe the locations to be targeted include Federation Square, Flinders Street Station, and St Paul’s Cathedral.

    Commissioner Ashton said: “We believe [the plot] was going to involve an explosive event, the use of explosives, and we gathered evidence to support that.

    “There has also been evidence that we will lead around the possibility of an intention to use other weapons. That could include knives and/or a firearm.

    “Certainly these [people] are self-radicalised, we believe, but inspired by ISIS and ISIS propaganda.”

    A 24-year-old man from Meadow Heights, a 26-year-old man from Dallas, a 22-year-old man from Campbellfield, a 21-year-old man from Flemington and a 21-year-old man from Gladstone Park remain in police custody.

    A 20-year-old woman and a 26-year-old man, both from Meadow Heights, were released without charge.

    The five people in custody were expected to face court this afternoon, charged with acts in preparation of a terrorist event, Commissioner Ashton said.

    Commissioner Ashton said four of the five were Australian-born with a Lebanese background.

    “The age groups range between 20 and 24 or 25. There is another suspect in this matter who will be charged that was an Egyptian-born Australian citizen. All the others were Australian-born,” he said.

    Premier Daniel Andrews said there would be an increased police presence at large gatherings in Victoria over the Christmas period.

    Commissioner Ashton said he spoke to Cricket Australia about providing additional security at the MCG during the Boxing Day Test, which starts on Monday.

     

    Source: www.abc.net.au

  • Malaysia, Indonesia, Tighten Security Net

    Malaysia, Indonesia, Tighten Security Net

    KUALA LUMPUR • Malaysia is on high alert for the festive season – with armed soldiers making their presence felt at shopping malls, clubs and hotels – after its neighbour Indonesia foiled a planned Christmas Day bombing.

    Meanwhile, Indonesian police will deploy some 155,000 personnel to secure the country during the Christmas and New Year holidays, reported Agence France-Presse.

    Neither country is taking the terror threat lightly.

    In Malaysia, larger malls have deployed their own security teams, numbering more than 100 men each, to complement auxiliary police, according to The Star.

    “Certain malls go further by putting up notices to remind visitors about the steps they can take if they notice someone or something suspicious,” adviser to the Malaysia Shopping Malls Association H.C. Chan told The Star.

    The use of closed-circuit television cameras to keep an extra eye on crowded shopping spaces has also been stepped up.

    Still, Malaysia’s malls have stopped short of installing scanners and metal detectors at entry points, a common feature in Thailand and Indonesia.

    Malaysian police said on Tuesday that they had arrested seven people between Nov 3 and Dec 16 for suspected links to the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and for planning attacks in Malaysia and abroad.

    Earlier this month, they revealed that they had prevented some 14 ISIS-linked attacks in the country.

    So far, the only successful assault by the Islamist group in Malaysia was a grenade attack in June on a bar in Puchong, on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, which left eight people injured.

    In Indonesia, national police chief Tito Karnavian said security will be boosted at churches, entertainment venues and public gatherings during the Christmas and New Year celebrations. On Wednesday, the police discovered a cache of bombs on the outskirts of Jakarta and killed three suspected militants to prevent a suicide bombing.

    “Police will beef up security after these (raids)”, said national police spokesman Martinus Sitompul. Intelligence-gathering efforts and the monitoring of social media are also being intensified.

    While Indonesia routinely deploys security personnel for year-end celebrations, this week’s events have given the exercise an extra edge.

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

  • 350 Orang Berjaya Dipindahkan Dari Aleppo; Sedang PBB Bersiap Sedia Hantar Pasukan Pemerhati

    350 Orang Berjaya Dipindahkan Dari Aleppo; Sedang PBB Bersiap Sedia Hantar Pasukan Pemerhati

    Sekitar 350 orang masih berjaya meninggalkan bandar Aleppo pada Ahad (18 Dis), kata seorang pegawai perubatan.

    Ini meskipun pemindahan para penduduk dan pemberontak di bandar itu ditangguhkan secara rasmi.

    Berpuluh-puluh bas sudah memasuki Aleppo semalam bagi menyambung semula pemindahan, tetapi rancangan berkenaan dibatalkan pada saat-saat akhir selepas kenderaan-kenderaan yang digunakan bagi dua buah kampung lain diserang.

    Perkembangan ini dilaporkan sedang Majlis Keselamatan Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (PBB) bersiap sedia untuk mengundi bagi menghantar para pemerhati ke Aleppo.

    “Lima bas membawa para penduduk yang dipindahkan dari bahagian timur Aleppo,” kata Ahmad al-Dbis, yang menerajui pasukan doktor dan relawan yang menyelaras pemindahan ke Khan al-Assal. Dari situ, mereka yang dipindahkan boleh ke bahagian-bahagian lain Aleppo dan wilayah Idlib.

    Badan pemerhati, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, menyatakan 350 orang itu dapat dipindahkan selepas Rusia dan Turki menggesa rejim Syria supaya membenarkan konvoi bas itu untuk meneruskan perjalanannya.

    Pemindahan digantung pada Jumaat (16 Dis), sehari selepas konvoi-konvoi itu mula meninggalkan Aleppo di bawah satu perjanjian yang membenarkan rejim Syria mendapat kuasa penuh ke atas Aleppo.

    Source: Berita MediaCorp

  • MHA: Five Maids Worked In Singapore Radicalised But Did Not Pose Imminent Security Threat

    MHA: Five Maids Worked In Singapore Radicalised But Did Not Pose Imminent Security Threat

    In the past two years, five maids working in Singapore were radicalised, although they “did not pose an imminent security threat” at the time, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

    The maids were among some 70 foreigners investigated during that period, and had been radicalised through social media. Some of the foreigners were later deported after the authorities in their home countries were informed of their cases.

    The statement yesterday came after Indonesia’s anti-terror police commandos rounded up four women in the past week on suspicion of terrorism. Among them was Dian Yulia Novi, 27. She had worked in Singapore between 2008 and 2009, said an MHA spokesman.

    Dian had allegedly been planning to mount a suicide bomb attack on the presidential palace in Jakarta. In a television interview broadcast last Tuesday, she said she was first exposed to radical Islam through Facebook by opening profiles of extremists while working as a maid abroad.

    She worked for a family with three children here, and as a maid for three years in Taiwan.

    But Dian did not show signs of being radicalised during her time in Singapore, said the MHA spokesman, who added: “Our security agencies are in contact with their counterparts regarding her case.”

    Most of the 70 foreigners investigated in the past two years “were radicalised through their exposure to radical propaganda on social media”, said MHA. Some then radicalised others using radical propaganda from online sources.

    The Straits Times understands that the five maids were among those radicalised via social media.

    While they did not plan to carry out acts of violence in Singapore at the time they were investigated, their presence posed a security concern for Singapore, MHA said.

    Six Bangladeshis charged with offences under the Terrorism (Suppression of Financing) Act are serving their sentences here.

    With radicalisation through the Internet being a worldwide phenomenon, MHA said social media platform owners have to ensure “their platforms are not used to promote radicalism and terrorism”.

    A more effective approach in the longer term may be sensitising the public to the dangers of extremist rhetoric and equipping them with social media literacy so they will not be vulnerable to terrorist propaganda online, added the ministry. Those who notice people showing signs of radicalisation should inform the authorities.

    “The security agencies meanwhile continue to work closely with their foreign counterparts to share intelligence on terrorism activities,” said MHA.

    Dian was a member of a cell based in Solo, Central Java. She had hidden a “rice cooker” bomb in her room, where she was arrested on Dec 10.

    The arrests of Dian and three other women mark a shift in strategy, with Indonesian militants recruiting women instead of men to mount attacks, national police chief Tito Karnavian has said.

    Maids from Indonesia said they were worried about being typecast after the news.

    “It affects us too because people will think other Indonesians will end up the same way,” said Ms Sri Hartatik, 35, who has worked here for 11 years. “It is common for Muslims, including domestic workers here, to read about religion on social media,” she said. But not everyone does so, she added, and neither does she.

    Mr Gary Chin, chief executive of maid agency Nation Employment, said that employers should watch out for sudden changes in their helpers’ behaviour, show them concern and take an interest in who their friends are.

    “If they sense anything amiss, they should inform the agency as well, so that we can arrange for counsellors or family members to speak to the domestic helper.”

    Dr Rohan Gunaratna, head of the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research, noted that militant group Islamic State in Iraq and Syria is investing heavily in recruiting in cyber space.

    While Singapore has secured its physical space, it “now needs to better protect its citizens and residents, including the labour population, from cyber radicalisation”.

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com

  • Protesters Condemn International Inaction In Aleppo

    Protesters Condemn International Inaction In Aleppo

    BERLIN (AFP) – Protesters rallied in Berlin on Saturday (Dec 17) against the war in Syria denouncing the international community for failing to help civilians, especially children, in the besieged city of Aleppo.

    Holding banners saying “The children of Aleppo are calling you!”, or “Aleppo is bleeding and the world is watching”, around 900 people braved plunging temperatures to gather in front to the Reichstag, the German parliament building, according to police estimates.

    At the same time, another 1,800 people joined a second demonstration elsewhere in the German capital, police said.

    “What is happening there amounts to what is the worst in the world,” said Mahmoud Almizeh, a 19-year-old Syrian refugee who comes from Raqa, now the bastion of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria militant group.

    Germany has opened its doors to some 600,000 Syrian refugees since the conflict began in 2011.

    Having arrived in Germany a year ago, Almizeh lamented that European leaders were “unfortunately doing nothing”.

    In Aleppo on Saturday, trapped Syrian civilians and rebels waited desperately for evacuations to resume from an opposition-held enclave of the city which has fallen to the brutal onslaught by Syrian government forces.

    Aleppo has been ravaged by some of the worst violence of the nearly six-year war that has killed more than 310,000 people.

    “We feel so powerless” about the tragedy facing the Syrians, said Anna Bone, a Berlin resident at the demonstration where another banner declared: “Stop murdering! Peace talks NOW.”

    “This powerlessness… this grief, it’s what brought me here today,” she added.

    Hundreds of protestors also joined demonstrations in France on Saturday in the cities of Paris, Lille, Strasbourg and Marseille.

    “It’s crazy that the world powers cannot intervene,” commented two protesters of Turkish origin, Hilal, 25, and Gulsan, 26, in Paris.

    Thousands of trapped civilians and the last remaining opposition fighters in Aleppo were waiting for evacuations to resume on Saturday, a day after the operation was suspended by the Syrian government.

    Meanwhile, in New York, the UN Security Council could vote as early as this weekend on a French-drafted proposal to allow international observers into Aleppo and ensure urgent aid deliveries.

     

    Source: www.straitstimes.com