Terrorism

Pope Francis decries 'vile' attack on Syrians in Easter address at the Vatican

On Christianity's most joyful day, Pope Francis lamented the horrors generated by war and hatred, delivering an Easter Sunday message that also decried the "latest vile" attack on civilians in Syria.

Both in his impromptu homily during Mass in St. Peter's Square and later in his formal "Urbi et Orbi" Easter message delivered from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, Francis reflected on a litany of suffering in the world, including wars, oppressive regimes, human trafficking, corruption, famine and domestic violence.

He encouraged people to hold fast in their "fearful hearts" to faith, acknowledging that many people wonder where God is amid so much evil and suffering in the world.

Some 60,000 people, including multi-national throngs of pilgrims and tourists, endured tight anti-terrorism security checks — and, later, a brief downpour — to hear Francis and receive his blessing.

Terrorism

Assessment of White House Intelligence Report About Nerve Agent Attack in Khan Shaykhun, Syria

...I have reviewed the document carefully, and I believe it can be shown, without doubt, that the document does not provide any evidence whatsoever that the US government has concrete knowledge that the government of Syria was the source of the chemical attack in Khan Shaykhun, Syria at roughly 6 to 7 a.m. on April 4, 2017.

In fact, a main piece of evidence that is cited in the document points to an attack that was executed by individuals on the ground, not from an aircraft, on the morning of April 4. This conclusion is based on an assumption made by the White House when it cited the source of the sarin release and the photographs of that source. My own assessment, is that the source was very likely tampered with or staged, so no serious conclusion could be made from the photographs cited by the White House.

However, if one assumes, as does the White House, that the source of the sarin was from this location and that the location was not tampered with, the most plausible conclusion is that the sarin was dispensed by an improvised dispersal device made from a 122 mm section of rocket tube filled with sarin and capped on both sides.

Terrorism

Palm Sunday attacks: Survivors detail harrowing accounts of twin bombings

Survivors of the twin suicide bombings that targeted Coptic churches in Egypt Sunday, leaving 44 dead and more than 100 injured, described a scene panic and uncertainty immediately after the blasts.

The Palm Sunday bombings targeted worshippers celebrating the start of Holy Week. The first blast occurred at St. George Church in Tanta, which left 27 dead. The second was at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Alexandria, which left 17 others dead, including three police officers.

“I just felt fire grabbing my face,” one victim of the Tanta attack told state TV from a hospital. “I pushed my brother, who was sitting next to me, and then I heard people saying, ‘Explosion!’”

Another victim told Reuters she saw “body parts scatters” after the blast.

Terrorism

Suicide bombing in Pakistan may have targeted Christians celebrating Easter

A suicide bombing that may have targeted Christians celebrating Easter in a park in Lahore, Pakistan, killed at least 69 people and wounded hundreds, Pakistani officials said Sunday.

A bomb exploded near children's rides in Gulshan-e-Iqbal park in Lahore, a large city in Eastern Pakistan, local police chief Haider Ashraf told the Associated Press.

"Most of the dead and injured are women and children," Mustansar Feroz, the police superintendent for the area in which the park is located said, according to NBC News.

Terrorism

At least 60 reported killed in explosion in Pakistan’s Lahore

At least 44 people were killed in an explosion in a crowded public park in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore on Sunday evening, media reports said, quoting security officials.

The attack appeared to have been carried out by a suicide bomber in the parking area of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, where families were picnicking for the Easter holiday, a senior police official told the Associated Press. More than 100 people were injured.

“Most of the dead and injured are women and children,” said Mustansar Feroz, superintendent of police for the area, according to the news agency Reuters.

Terrorism

Dozens dead in explosion in Turkish capital 

A blast shook the Turkish capital of Ankara Sunday, leaving at least 34 dead and 75 wounded, according to government officials.

The explosion, which occurred after a car slammed into a bus, was caused by a car bomb that detonated close to bus stops that were targeted on the city's main boulevard, Ataturk Bulvari. The area — near Guven Park at Kizilay, Ankara’s main square — is close to government offices.

Some reported hearing gunfire after the explosion and a witness told Reuters that smoke could be seen from 1.5 miles away.

Several other vehicles caught on fire and the explosion shattered shop windows along the square.

Terrorism

Women's involvement in terrorism growing, Calif. Case shows

Islamic State group propaganda is resonating with a growing and loyal following of young women and teenagers, complicating U.S. counterterrorism efforts to identify and monitor supporters such as Tashfeen Malik, the 29-year-old mother suspected in the California shootings along with her husband.

It's unusual for a woman to be involved in mass violence in the United States. But the increasing number of women drawn to IS is worrisome to American law enforcement and making it almost impossible to flag the prototypical recruit for investigation. Even harder to detect: a husband and wife team, like the one blamed for Wednesday's shootings in San Bernardino, that doesn't need to use a telephone to plot an attack.