On Wednesday of this week, AlertsUSA subscribers were some of the first in the U.S. to learn of a mass casualty 'bow and arrow' attack in the town of Kongsberg, Norway, about 50 miles west of the capital of Oslo. In this incident, 37-year-old Danish national, Espen Andersen Brathen, a convert to Islam, used a bow, competition-grade arrows, and a knife to kill four women and one man across several locations in the town. Three others were also wounded.
Living in Kongsberg, the suspect was already on police radar due to petty crimes and concerns he may have been radicalized.
Officers arrested Brathen 30 minutes after he began his attack in a supermarket. During this period, Brathen managed to twice evade police efforts to capture him as he hunted his victims.
Police said Brathen confessed during questioning. In a deleted YouTube video, he said in English that he was a “messenger” who “comes with a warning,” and continues: “Bear witness that I am a Muslim.”
Outgoing Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg described the attack as "gruesome," while Prime Minister-designate Jonas Gahr Stoere called it "a cruel and brutal act."
The Norwegian Police Security Service released a statement saying that “the events in Kongsberg currently appear to be an act of terror, but the investigation... will determine in closer detail what the acts were motivated by.”
Readers are reminded that this attack comes just over 10 years after right-wing extremist Anders Breivik carried out the worst terrorist attack in Norwegian history. In this incident, Breivik set off a bomb in Oslo and went on a shooting rampage on the island of Utoya in July 2011, killing 77 people in total.
British MP Assassinated in Essex
On Friday morning, AlertsUSA subscribers were initially notified of an attempted assassination of British Member of Parliament Sir David Amess. At the time of the attack, the Conservative MP was meeting with constituents at what the British refer to as a public surgery, which is a regular opportunity for constituents to air their views and seek assistance in different matters. In this area, appointments are scheduled with the meetings held at the Belfairs Methodist Church in the Eastwood Road North area of Essex.
According to media accounts, the suspect ran into the building and immediately attacked, stabbing the MP six times. The area was quickly swarmed with armed police and the assailant was arrested soon thereafter. Police say the suspect is a 25-year-old UK national of Somali origin who is believed to have links to Islamist militants.
Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dean Haydon formally declared the incident as terrorism. The early investigation has revealed a potential motivation linked to Islamist extremism.
Paramedics worked for two hours attempting to save the MP who ultimately succumbed to his injuries.
Sir David, age 69, had been an MP since 1983 and was married with five children. He is the second serving MP to be killed in the past five years, following the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox in 2016.
Home Secretary Priti Patel has asked all police forces to review security arrangements for MPs “with immediate effect.”
AQAP Issues New Threats
Late last week, the media arm of the Yemen-based Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), released a video featuring its senior official, Sudanese national and former Guantanamo detainee Ibrahim Al-Qousi, who congratulated the Taliban for taking over Afghanistan and threatened the U.S. with attacks more painful than 9/11.
"Every Muslim on the face of the earth is in fact an enterprising mujahid. Upcoming operations by the mujahideen do not necessarily have to be a carbon copy of the September 11th operations, as they have many alternatives, and perhaps they will be more powerful, painful, and heartbreaking than those.
He continues:
"O Americans, remember the famous oath of Sheikh Osama, in which he said: 'Neither America nor those who live in America will dream of security before we live it as a reality in Palestine, and before all the infidel armies leave the land of Muhammad.' And remember what he said in his message to the American people on January 20th 2006, titled, 'The Way to End the War,' in which he said: 'As for the delay in similar operations in America, it is not due to the inability to penetrate your security measures, but it is because the operations are under preparation, and you will see them in your home as soon as they are finished.'
AlertsUSA continues to monitor the domestic and international threat environment around the clock and will immediately notify service subscribers, via SMS messages to their mobile devices, of new alerts, warnings and advisories or any developments which signal a change the overall threat picture for American citizens as events warrant.
