| 26 June 2015 terrorist attacks | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Saint-Quentin-Fallavier,France Kuwait City,Kuwait Sousse,Tunisia Kobanî,Syria Al-Hasakah,Syria Leego,Somalia |
| Coordinates | 45°38′34″N5°07′30″E / 45.6428°N 5.1250°E /45.6428; 5.1250 |
| Date | 25–26 June 2015 |
| Deaths | 403+ (not including attackers) |
| Injured | 336+ |
| Perpetrators |  Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant Al-Shabaab |
On 26 June 2015, attacks occurred in France, Kuwait, and Tunisia, one day following a deadly massacre in Syria.[1] The day of the attacks was dubbed "Bloody Friday" by Anglophone media[2][3][4][5] and "Black Friday" (French:Vendredi Noir) among Francophone media in Europe and North Africa.[6][7][8][9][10]
One attack at a Tunisian beach resort killed 39;a bombing at a Shia mosque in Kuwait City killed 27 and injured several; while inKobanî alarge-scale massacre by ISIL resulted in more than 223 civilians murdered, in line with over 79 assailants (including 13 suicide bombers) and 23 Kurdish militiamen,[11] dubbed the second-largest massacre by ISIL since summer 2014; a suicide bombing by ISIL inAl-Hasakeh, also in Syria, resulted in 20 fatalities;al-Shabaab militantskilled 70African Union soldiers fromBurundi inLeego,Somalia; finally, one man wasdecapitated, while several were injured during theSaint-Quentin-Fallavier attack in France.
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant senior leaderAbu Mohammad al-Adnani had released an audio message three days earlier encouraging militants everywhere to attack during the month ofRamadan.[12] ISIL also claimed responsibility for the attacks in Tunisia, Syria and Kuwait.[13]
According toThe Guardian, there is no evidence that the attacks were coordinated among the perpetrators,[14] but their timing on a single day received significant coverage. One security analyst said the attacks added up to "an unprecedented day for terrorism."[13] In total, more than 403 people died and 336 were injured, not including any attackers involved.
On 7 June, theInstitute for the Study of War released a statement predicting that simultaneous terror attacks would take place at around 29 June, marking the one-year anniversary of the terrorist groupISIL declaring itself to be a state.[15][16] The statement noted that the ISIL's precursor organizationAl-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) had a history of elevating violence during Ramadan. The paper said that ISIL was "likely preparing a surge of operations" during Ramadan to stoke regional sectarian and religious war, and to create military momentum. The paper argued that AQI had a history of promoting sectarian violence though the2006 al-Askari mosque bombing, and that ISIL would use the movement of religious pilgrims during Ramadan to infiltrate soldiers into Shi'a areas, and also "likely target Shi’a populations outside of Iraq and Syria, particularly in Yemen and Saudi Arabia and possibly further abroad."
Three days before the attack, ISIL'sAbu Mohammad al-Adnani called on jihadists to "make the month of Ramadan a calamity on the apostates" by initiating attacks and seeking "martyrdom". The three attacks in France, Kuwait and Tunisia were launched early on Friday morning.[13][14]
The attacks took place three days before the one-year anniversary of ISIL declaring itself a caliphate on 29 June 2014.[17][18][19]Writing forThe Guardian, journalist Kareem Shaheen wrote that, "There was no evidence that the near-simultaneous attacks were coordinated, but they highlighted the growing threat of attacks by jihadists, some of them inspired by Isis rhetoric, across Europe, Africa and the Middle East."[14] British professorSajjan Gohel, the international security director for the Asia-Pacific Foundationthink tank, said the attacks added up to "an unprecedented day for terrorism," and that while details of the planning were still unclear, it involved individuals "buying into the ... doctrine that groups like ISIS articulate."[13] They also occurred on Friday, during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, following an ISIL leader's call to make the month of Ramadan a time of "calamity for the infidels."[20]
Journalist Vivienne Walt wrote forTime that the attacks in France, Kuwait and Syria left "an impression that the group had adopted a new tactic of launching punitive external attacks rather than just focusing on state-building and territorial acquisition." The three attacks plus the killings in Kobanî "do not appear to have any military purpose and may suggest that ISIS has decided to pursue its war for territory in tandem with its war against the world of unbelievers, which includes almost everyone," Walt wrote.[21]
On 27 June,Politico reported that U.S. intelligence agencies were reassessing their previous characterization of ISIL as a “regional threat.”[5] In a February 2015 report, Director of National IntelligenceJames R. Clapper classified ISIL as a "regional threat" and wrote: “In an attempt to strengthen its self-declared caliphate, ISIL probably plans to conduct operations against regional allies, Western facilities, and personnel in the Middle East.”[22] U.S. CongressmanEd Royce, the chairman of theU.S. House Committee on Foreign Affairs, toldPolitico, “These attacks show that the [ISIL] threat is spreading well beyond Iraq and Syria. A continued safe-haven there means more attacks across the region, Europe and even here at home.... We also must destroy the online messaging that attracts so many young people with the counter message that [ISIL] offers no peace, no community, and no future.”[5]
On 25 June, ISIL fighters launched anattack on theKurdish-held town ofKobanî,Syria, infiltrating the cityen-masse and killing scores of civilians with guns and a series of suicide bombs.[23][24][25][26] The attacks resulted in over 230 civilians dead, as well as 79 ISIL assailants and 23 YPG militia men. It was named the second largest civilian massacre by ISIL since it declared itself a caliphate on 29 June 2014.[27]
On 26 June, Islamist delivery driver Yassine Salhi decapitated a man and rammed a company van into gas cylinders at a gas factory nearLyon, causing an explosion and injuring two others. Three other people, including Salhi's wife and sister, were later arrested.
A suicide bombing took place on 26 June inKuwait at aShia mosque killing 27 people. The attack was claimed by ISIL. TheEmir of Kuwait visited the location of the incident minutes after it happened.[28] TheIslamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claimed responsibility for the attack, and identified the perpetrator as "Abu Sulaiman al-Muwahhid". On 14 September, the court ruled that 15 out of 29 suspects had been found guilty, with seven receiving death sentences (fivein absentia).[29]
The Sousse attacks occurred on 26 June in the Tunisian town ofSousse. At least 39 people, mostly European tourists, were killed when an armed gunman attacked two hotels on the beach. ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack.[13] Reports have since surfaced of alleged involvement and co-operation between the gunmen Seifeddine Rezgui andAnsar al-Sharia in Tunisia.[30]
On 26 June,al-Shabaab militants attacked anAfrican Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) base in theLeego district ofSomalia and killed more than 70African Union soldiers. The militants seized control of the military base.[31][32][33] Somali and AMISOM troops reportedly retook the base and town on 28 June whileal-Shabaab withdrew and offered no resistance to them, but not before beheading the local deputy district commissioner among the captives they took.[34]
