INTERPOL: 37 terror suspects arrested in East African operation


LYON, France – An international counter-terrorism operation in East Africa has led to the arrest of 37 suspects and the seizure of both small arms and heavy weapons. Those arrested include suspected members of ISIS, Al Shabaab and several foreign terrorist fighters.

Arrests were made across eight East African countries during a joint INTERPOL and AFRIPOL operation (November-December 2024) aimed at identifying and arresting suspects with links to terrorism and strengthening key border controls. In Kenya, police arrested 17 people including two suspected ISIS members, several foreign terrorist fighters and others involved in terrorism financing, radicalization and propaganda.

Read more…
Source: INTERPOL


Sign up for Counter-IED Report Newsletter


Related:

  • Israel: IDF, Shin Bet raid bomb-making lab in Tulkarm, West Bank

    April 1, 2025

    The IDF and Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) discovered a bomb-making lab in Tulkarm that contained landmines, explosives, explosive-making materials, and a welding machine last week, the military announced on Tuesday. The IDF and Shin Bet also arrested 12 wanted individuals in Tammun and Kabatiya over the past 24 hours, the military added. A further 15 ...

  • Texas: Live bombs found along popular walking trail, Garland PD and FBI investigating

    March 31, 2025

    Multiple live bombs were found in Wynne Park Sunday morning, police said. The bombs have since been rendered “inoperative”. Garland Police were called to a wooded area of Wynne Park around 11:30 a.m. Sunday. “We were advised that there was a citizen that was actually going through the park and observed a suitcase that was open ...

  • UK: Man with ‘anti-government ideology’ tried to kill police officer outside station

    March 28, 2025

    A man has admitted trying to kill a police officer outside a Welsh police station. Alexander Dighton, 28, who has an “anti-government ideology”, appeared at the Old Bailey on Friday morning representing himself and pleaded guilty to 10 charges. Dighton had a home-made explosive, more commonly known as a Molotov cocktail, a hatchet, a knife and ...

  • Pakistan: 3 dead, 21 injured in blast near police vehicle in Quetta market

    March 27, 2025

    Three people were killed and 21 others injured after an explosion occurred near a police vehicle in the Barech Market area on Quetta’s Double Road, officials said. Confirming the deaths, Balochistan’s health department spokesperson Dr Waseem Baig said, “The injured have been moved to the trauma centre at Civil Hospital.” Balochistan Government Spokesperson Shahid Rind said ...

  • Cameroon: Raw chemicals for improvised explosive devices seized in Idenau

    March 26, 2025

    An operation carried out by the Commercial Customs Brigade of Idenau during a physical inspection of cargo being offloaded from an artisanal boat onto a truck within the port area led to the successful seizure of a huge quantity of raw chemicals that are used in the production of explosive devices. Though the exact nature of ...

  • UK: Teenager, 18, charged with making ‘variety of homemade explosives’ in Wandsworth

    March 26, 2025

    A man has been charged with making a “variety” of homemade weapons and explosives in Wandsworth. Sakhile Ntsele, 18, of Wandsworth Road, has been charged with 29 offences in total all relating to possessing firearms or explosives, with new charges being put forward on March 13. Ntsele was initially arrested following an incident at his home ...

  • Nigeria: Cache of arms seized from Rivers pipeline bombing suspects

    March 26, 2025

    A cache of arms has been seized by the military. This followed the foiling of a plan to bomb another oil pipeline in Rivers State. Eight suspects have been arrested. A joint security force set up following the March 18 emergency rule declaration thwarted attempts by miscreants to attack the oil facility. Six people held by ...

  • Pennsylvania: Man accused of hurling explosive in front of Central Berks patrol vehicle

    March 25, 2025

    A Mount Penn man faces several charges after Central Berks Regional police said he threw an explosive device in the street just ahead of a marked patrol vehicle. Joseph R. Crochunis Jr., 37, of the 2600 block of Perkiomen Avenue was committed to Berks County Prison in lieu of $25,000 bail after arraignment Saturday before District ...

  • FBI launches task force targeting anti-Tesla ‘domestic terrorism’

    March 25, 2025

    The FBI announced on Monday the creation of a task force intended to “crack down on violent Tesla attacks,” a move that follows a spate of such incidents appearing to target Elon Musk’s electric car manufacturer. Acts of violence and vandalism have been seen for months against Tesla vehicles and facilities, such as charging stations, alongside ...

  • Kenya: Six police personnel killed by suspected al Shabaab fighters in Garissa

    March 23, 2025

    At least six police personnel were killed in Kenya while four were injured in an attack on a police camp by suspected Islamist militants in Garissa county in the country’s east on the border with Somalia, police said. The assault which occurred early Sunday was carried out by suspected fighters from Somalia’s al Qaeda-allied al Shabaab ...

  • Ukraine: Explosion at police building in Odesa region, SSU opens terrorist attack case

    March 23, 2025

    The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has classified the explosion at the police building in Odesa region as an attempted terrorist attack and opened a criminal investigation. According to investigators, the explosion occurred at about 6 p.m. today after a woman entered the police department with a package that could have contained explosives. The woman was ...

  • India: IED alert sounded as threat spikes with new camps in core areas

    March 23, 2025

    An alert has been sounded in the anti-Naxal operations theatre of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand following a “spike” in IED blasts and recoveries, including that of a device rigged with beer bottles and a small antenna for remote control explosion, officials said. The analysis report states that during 2020-22, IEDs were being planted by Naxals in a ...

  • UK: Man arrested after explosive substance found

    March 21, 2025

    A man has been arrested after an explosive substance which poses “a threat to life” was found in a property in a Sussex seaside town, police said. Residents within a 100-metre cordon around the address on the A259 Marina in St Leonards were evacuated following the discovery of the chemicals on Thursday, prompting Sussex Police to ...

  • Texas: New Braunfels Man who Planned Mass Murder Attacks Sentenced to Over 6 Years in Federal Prison

    March 19, 2025

    SAN ANTONIO – A New Braunfels man was sentenced in federal court today to 78 months in prison for a charge related to his planned mass murder attacks that were thwarted by federal and local law enforcement. According to court documents, Cameron Darrick Peterson, 20, began planning mass shootings since November 2022. On Jan. 4, 2024, ...

  • Iraq: ISIS suicide bomber detonates near army position in Salahaddin province

    March 19, 2025

    Two ISIS militants, including a suicide-bomber who self-detonated, were killed during clashes with Iraqi security forces in northern Iraq on Wednesday, according to Baghdad’s Security Media Cell. “After intensive monitoring and the use of technical and intelligence resources, a force from the second battalion of the 88th Brigade and Military Intelligence Directorate detachments within ...

  • Colorado: Court documents released on a Fort Carson Soldier accused of stealing an explosive device

    March 19, 2025

    An active duty Fort Carson soldier, 41-year-old Joshua King, is being accused of stealing C4 off the post. According to court documents, the explosive was found when the soldier’s ex-wife was cleaning at her residence. She claims she discovered it on top of a dresser inside the garage when going to collect a knife collection. King’s ...

  • Police Arrest Istanbul Mayor Over Alleged Corruption and Terror Links

    March 19, 2025

    Turkish police on Wednesday arrested Istanbul’s mayor — a key rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan — as part of an investigation into alleged corruption and terror links, media reports said. The state-run Anadolu Agency said prosecutors issued detention warrants for the mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, and some 100 other people. Among those detained was Imamoglu’s close ...

  • Florida: Pipe bomb, guns, ‘chemical materials’ found at man’s Key West home

    March 19, 2025

    A Key West man is now the subject of a federal investigation after officers found a pipe bomb and a cache of weapons at his home, authorities said. They said it all started with a traffic stop. According to the Key West Police Department, officers pulled over 39-year-old Vincent Vega for driving 69 mph in ...

  • Characterization and differentiation of aluminum powders used in improvised explosive devices

    March 16, 2025

    Determining the extent to which sources of aluminum (Al) powders, often used as fuel in improvised explosive devices (IEDs), can be differentiated is important for forensic investigations and gathering intelligence. Previous work developed effective methods of characterizing Al powders using micromorphometric features of the Al particles and a multistage sampling approach. Since then, ~100 additional samples ...

  • Iraqi Special Forces personnel complete counter-terror training course in Pakistan

    March 16, 2025

    Iraqi Special Forces have completed an over two-month-long training course at the National Counter Terrorism Center (NCTC) in northwestern Pakistan, state-run media reported on Sunday, as both countries eye bolstering military and defense cooperation for regional security. The Iraqi personnel arrived in Pakistan in December 2024 to undergo training at the NCTC located in Pabbi town ...

  • Pakistan: Police Van Targeted in IED Blast in Lakki Marwat

    March 15, 2025

    A police van was targeted in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast near the Landiwa area, leaving the driver injured, police said on Saturday. In response, security personnel launched a counterattack, killing one terrorist on the spot. Meanwhile, in a separate incident last night, terrorists attacked the Dadewala police station, but the police successfully repelled the ...

  • Thailand: Pattani blast injures 9 police on teacher-protection duty

    March 14, 2025

    A roadside bomb attack injured nine police officers on teacher-protection duty in Mae Lan district of this southern border province on Friday morning. The blast occurred on a local road between village Moo 1 and village Moo 2 in tambon Muang Tia, said Pol Capt Nathee Meesuksri of Mae Lan station. The incident was reported around ...