North Carolina: Man Brings Explosive Materials to Police Headquarters

TRIPwire, 7 August 2017, 0800

On 4 August 2017 at 1141 hours local time a male individual walked into the Cornelius police station and told officers he wanted to show them unassembled explosive precursor materials in his vehicle. He stated that he wanted to demonstrate to police how easy it would be to manufacture an explosive device. After questioning the suspect, officers contacted the FBI and evacuated the police station, town hall, and several nearby businesses. Technicians from the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department Bomb Squad used a robot to search the vehicle and found suspicious items and powders that, when combined, could become explosive. The technicians removed the materials and will dispose of them at a later date.  Police also searched the man’s residence and cleared it of other suspicious materials. Officers are determining whether to charge the man with a crime.

TRIPwire, 7 August 2017, 0900

On 4 August at approximately 1900 hours local time, a VBIED exploded in Mogadishu, killing at least three people and injuring at least six others. The vehicle was parked next to a hospital on a busy road flanked by several hotels. This is the second time in a week that a deadly blast occurred in this area. On 30 July 2017, a VBIED exploded near a police station, killing five people and injuring at least 13 others. No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks and an investigation is ongoing.

TRIPwire, 4 August 2017, 0700
On 2 August 2017 at 0200 hours local time a male suspect threw an incendiary device at the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office jail in Phoenix before driving away. The perpetrator returned the same day at 1900 hours local time and allegedly threw another device. The Molotov cocktails were aimed at an area where inmates are released and officers bring suspects for booking. No one was hurt in the attacks.  Deputies traced the vehicle used in the attacks and later arrested a 27-year-old man.

UPDATE: Australia: Additional Details Emerge Concerning Thwarted Airliner Attack

TRIPwire, 4 August 2017, 0800
On 4 August 2017 Australian authorities released more details on the foiled terrorist attempt on 15 July 2017 to bring an IED onto a flight leaving Sydney. According to the Australian Federal Police, an ISIS commander sent the IED components, including a “military-grade explosive,” to the two would-be attackers through international air cargo from Turkey. The package also included instructions for assembling the device, which police describe as a “full functioning” sophisticated IED. Once assembled, one of the suspects placed the device inside a piece of luggage and asked his unsuspecting brother to carry it onboard. When the attempt was abandoned due to the weight of the luggage, the attacker left with the bag and his brother continued on the flight. The two attackers then changed tactics and were in the very early stages of creating a chemical dispersion weapon made out of hydrogen sulfide when they were arrested on 29 July. Components of that device were found on properties searched in the past week.