Timeline: Recent Terror Attacks in Europe

By Amina Faki

“Terrorism, like viruses, is everywhere. There is a global perfusion of terrorism, which accompanies any system of domination as though it were its shadow, ready to activate itself anywhere, like a double agent” Jean Baudrillard

This is no exception for the Europe, the threats from international terrorism to the U.K seems to be more severe. There has been a series of terror attacks since the 9/11 terror incidents.

May 22, 2017: Manchester Arena, England

This is the most recent act of terrorism attack that happened just a few hours ago at a concert with Ariana Grande. This has left 19 people dead and over 50 casualties.

The UK police are treating the concert blast incident as an act of terrorism.

According to an article by Brooke Singman, a reporter at Fox News the following is a timeline of recent terror attacks in Europe.

April 20, 2017: Champs Elysees Attack in Paris

This is an attacker that got out of a car and fired an automatic weapon at a parked police van, killing the officer inside before shooting others standing on the nearby sidewalk, injuring two before he was shot dead.

The French president said the attack was “terrorist in nature” and promised utmost vigilance.

April 7, 2017: Stockholm Truck Attack

Five people were killed when a male truck driver drove into a pedestrian shopping street and department store in Sweden’s capital city wounding over a dozen people.

The 39-year-old driver allegedly admitted to being a member of ISIS and told the police that he had achieved what he was set out to do.

April 3, 2017: Saint Petersburg Bombing

A suicide bombing on the subway in Russia’s second largest city killed more than a dozen passengers and injured dozens more.

March 22, 2017: Westminister Bridge Attack

Five people including a London police officer who was stabbed and the perpetrator were killed in a terror attack. More than 40 people were injured outside the parliament building.

The British Prime Minister Theresa May said that the act was sick and depraved.

Later, ISIS claimed responsibility.

February 3, 2017: Louvre Knife Attack

A machete-wielding man yelling “Allahu Akbar” attacked soldiers in a shopping mall near the Louvre in Paris. He was shot and wounded by soldiers.

December 19, 2016: Germany Christmas Market

A large truck plowed through a Christmas market in central berlin which left 12 dead and 48 people injured.

Through Amaq news agency, ISIS yet again claimed responsibility for the attack and said that the attacker was a soldier of the Islamic State.

November 28, 2016: Ohio State

An Ohio State University student Abdul Razak Ali Artan ran his car into a group of students and slashed people with a butcher knife.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack and termed Artan a “Soldier”

October 16, 2016: Hamburg, Germany

There was a lone wolf knife attack in Hamburg, Germany which left one teenager dead.

July 26, 2016: Normandy, France

Two men took five people hostage during a mass at a church in Normandy and murdered an elderly priest by stabbing him in the chest and sitting on his throat. The two men were arrested and the hostages freed.

The then President Francois Hollande said the men carried out the attack in the name of ISIS.

July 14, 2016: Nice, France

77 people were left dead in Nice, France when a truck drove through a crowd on Bastille Day.

As it is their norm, ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack.

June 12, 2016: Orlando Nightclub Shooting

Omar Mateen attacked an Orlando gay nightclub, killing 50 people. Mateen claimed allegiance to ISIS on a 911 call, after the worst mass shooting in US history, and the worst terrorist attack US since 9/11. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack.

March 22, 2016: Belgium Attack

There were two suicide bombings on March 22, 2016-One at Brussels Airport and the other in the city’s subway system. The attacks combined left 32 people dead.

The ISIS cell that claimed responsibility for the Brussels attack was also linked to those involved in November 13, 2015, terror attacks in Paris.

January 11, 2016: Marseille, France

A teenager attacked a Jewish teacher in Marseille with a machete. He told the police that he carried out the attack in the name of the Islamic State.

January 7, 2016: Philadelphia, Penn

A man shot and wounded a Philadelphia police officer. The man claimed the attack was in the name of Islam and the Islamic State.

December 2, 2015: San Bernardino Shooting

A married couple shot and killed 14 people in San Bernardino, Calif. The FBI is still investigating the shooting as an act of terrorism inspired by the ISIS.

November 13, 2015: Paris Attacks

A series of coordinated terrorist attacks in Paris killed 130 people and injured hundreds. The attack consisted of a mass of shootings and suicide bombings.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility.

August 21, 2015: Paris

Three Americans were at the center of an attempted mass shooting. They helped to overpower a gunman who was armed with a Kalashnikov and opened fire on a train from Amsterdam to Paris.

The gunman was on radar of European counterterrorism agencies and appeared to be sympathetic to ISIS

February 15, 2015: Denmark

A Denmark citizen who was inspired by ISIS went on a rampage through the nation’s capital, killing two and wounding five police officers.

And finally,

January 7-9, 2015: Charlie Hebdo

There was an attack on the offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and four attackers around Paris followed killing 17 people. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack.

The above attacks which have happened in a period of two years are alarming.