Lone actors were behind all completed terror attacks in the European Union last year; some jihadist terrorists acting alone were in contact with terrorist groups. One example was the Vienna (Austria) attacker, who managed to transmit a video statement to IS. In ten attacks 12 people were killed and 47 injured.
Some of the lone actors have displayed a mix of extreme ideologies and mental health issues, making it ‘difficult at times to distinguish between terrorist attacks and violence caused by mental health problems’, according to the EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report 2021 by the European Union’s policing agency based in The Hague, Europol. While the report is by the EU, it includes the UK; the number of completed jihadist attacks in Europe (the EU, Switzerland and the three in the UK) was 15, more than double in 2020 in comparison with 2019, according to the report.
As for who the attackers were, four of the ten completed jihadist attacks were carried out by EU citizens; five had entered the EU as asylum-seekers or irregular migrants. At least five of the jihadist attacks in Europe (in Austria, Germany and the UK) involved perpetrators who were either released convicts or prisoners.
While jihadist terrorism remains the greatest threat to the European Union and is still influenced by developments abroad, the report says, it also covers right-wing extremism; and left-wing and anarchist extremism (mainly reported in Italy; which may take up such causes as scepticism about technological and scientific developments, and COVID-19 containment).
Perpetrators of 2019 attacks such as in Christchurch, New Zealand, were linked to transnational virtual communities, the report notes. Members of such communities were also arrested in 2020. The attacker who killed nine people in February 2020 in Hanau, Germany, was motivated by xenophobic and racist ideology. He had his own website. Right-wing extremism was featured in the May print edition of Professional Security magazine.
As for methods of attack, in 2020, the report says, terrorists primarily used simple means such as stabbing, vehicle ramming and arson. While jihadist propaganda and right-wing extremists alike suggested online ways to use the virus against targets, no attempts to use the virus as a bio-weapon have been reported in the European Union, says the report.
And as for terrorist propaganda, the report shows how virtual communities have become increasingly prominent in the dissemination of extremist and terrorist propaganda; such as white supremacist or neo-Nazi.
What they say
Catherine De Bolle, Executive Director of Europol, said: “The online domain plays a crucial role in enabling the spread of terrorist and extremist propaganda. In a world, which has become considerably more digital, targeting the propagation of hatred and violent ideologies spread online is an imperative. By sharing information in real time and using the latest technological advances within a strong data protection framework, we can further enhance the way we fight terrorism together. Ultimately, law enforcement’s main goal is to target violent extremism and radicalisation to save lives and minimise the violent attacks against our society and our democratic system.”
And Claudio Galzerano, Head of Europol’s Counter Terrorism Centre, said: “The new TE-SAT 2021 demonstrates the ramifications of a terrorist threat, which still remains high in the EU. EU Member States suffered 10 jihadist attacks, all perpetrated by lone actors. Some of the lone actors do have connections to like-minded individuals or terrorist groups, that being jihadists or right-wing extremists. Some of them were possibly radicalised online, with terrorists exploiting different events, controversies and vulnerable individuals. Meticulous assessment of the threat and coordinated efforts are of utmost importance to identify vulnerabilities and curtail the terrorist and extremist violence both online and offline.”
To view a copy of the 113-page report visit the Europol website: https://www.europol.europa.eu/activities-services/main-reports/european-union-terrorism-situation-and-trend-report-2021-tesat.
