POM POM ISLAND, MALAYSIA – We all welcome a holiday, especially on a beach, but terrorists realise that too.
This may be stating the blatantly obvious but terrorism knows no borders. This phrase means several things to my mind. Firstly, terrorism occurs all over the place – yes, more often in some countries than others (Afghanistan, Nigeria, Iraq…) but no country is immune from this scourge. Secondly, terrorist groups do not recognise international borders as a rule. Many are active simultaneously in many different parts of the world.
Some groups seek to actually establish a state-like structure themselves. Islamic State (ISIS) was a prime example. Its creation of the so-called ‘Caliphate‘ in parts of Iraq and Syria beginning in 2014 was an attempt to concretely make a politico-geographical entity that it would control. That it did not last long is not important: it was for a time an actual ‘state‘.
One of the scarier aspects of terrorist attacks is when they occur close to, but not in, areas known to be havens for extremist groups. Parts of the South China Sea are a good example. The Philippines has long suffered from several organisations which are all jihadi in scope: neighbouring Malaysia has not. That does not mean the latter cannot be targeted by terrorists in the former.
On this day in 2013
Gunmen abducted a Taiwanese woman and her husband who were holidaying at a secluded resort on Pom Pom island in Malaysia’s Sabah state, near the Philippines’ island of Jolo. He was killed during the kidnaping and she was handed over to Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) terrorists. She was freed in the southern Philippines in December of that same year.
She is in good condition.
Provincial military commander, Colonel Jose Cenabre
ASG also seized a number of foreign as well as Filipino hostages on Jolo, including two European birdwatchers and a Japanese treasure hunter. Kidnaping is a favourite tactic of the organisation. Which goes to show that even if you think you are on vacation in an idyllic spot you have to be mindful.
Read More Today in Terrorism
May 31, 1906: Spanish anarchist bombs royal wedding
On May 31, 1906 a Spanish anarchist threw a bomb hoping to hit King Alfonso XIII, killing 24 and wounding more than 100.
May 30, 2009: Anti-government group bombs TV station in Ecuador
On May 30, 2009 two pamphlet-bombs exploded outside an Ecuadorian TV station and ministry: no victims or significant damage ensued.
May 29, 2016: ISIS uses chlorine gas in terrorist attack
On May 29, 2016 35 civilians were wounded in an ISIS attack using rockets containing chlorine gas in Iraq’s Nineveh Province.
