As West strikes IS, nations brace for retribution

States in US coalition including UK, France, Netherlands, prepare for revenge attacks, increase security in public spaces

Illustrative: Australian Federal Police officers detain a suspect a counterterrorism raid in Sydney, September 18, 2014. (AFP/Australian Federal Police)
Illustrative: Australian Federal Police officers detain a suspect a counterterrorism raid in Sydney, September 18, 2014. (AFP/Australian Federal Police)

As a US-led coalition continued to strike Islamic State positions in Iraq and Syria Thursday, Western nations braced for Islamists’ retribution, whether in their own territory or abroad.

For Western leaders, one of the most worrying aspects of the Islamic State group has been its strong appeal to radicalized Muslims throughout the world, who have flocked to the Middle East to support the terrorist organization and who could pose a threat to their home countries upon their return.

US intelligence officials estimate some 12,000 foreigners have traveled to Syria and Iraq to join the Islamic State group, which has as many as 31,000 fighters.

As the bombings of Islamic State targets intensified, so, apparently, did fears of retaliatory terror attacks by IS or its sympathizers.

In Turkey, the US Embassy issued a security warning late Wednesday, urging US citizens to be vigilant against possible terrorist attacks. The embassy said there was no information about any specific threats but the possibility of terrorist attacks in Turkey “remains high.”

In the Netherlands, soldiers have been told not to wear uniforms on public transport, a defense ministry spokeswoman said Thursday, after a Dutch jihadist in Syria called for attacks against them.

“Last night we advised military personnel not to travel in uniform on public transport,” Marloes Visser told AFP Thursday. “There have been several statements made earlier this week which we are monitoring,” she said, declining to elaborate.

On Tuesday, a Syria-based Dutch jihadist fighter calling himself Muhajiri Shaam called for action against the Netherlands following US airstrikes. Shaam called in an online video for jihadists to “stand up and carry out a strong, firm act against the Dutch state” for “supporting the United States.”

In the UK, police arrested nine people in London early Thursday on suspicion of encouraging terrorism and belonging to and supporting a banned organization. Officials said the arrests “are part of an ongoing investigation into Islamist-related terrorism and are not in response to any immediate public safety risk.”

Meanwhile Islamic State jihadists seized and set fire to a cement factory in Syria owned by French construction materials giant Lafarge, causing damage to the facility, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Thursday. It was unclear whether their actions were in response to France’s strikes on IS targets in Iraq in recent days.

France carried out a fresh round of airstrikes in Iraq Thursday as it renewed its determination to fight IS jihadists after the beheading of hostage Herve Gourdel by an Algerian group allied with IS.

President Francois Hollande pledged “determination, composure and vigilance” in the face of jihadi threats at a cabinet meeting and announced that flags nationwide would be flown at half-mast for three days from Friday to mourn the loss of the 55-year-old mountaineer.

“Faced with this threat, we need national unity,” he told the meeting, according to government spokesman Stephane Le Foll, who also announced France had carried out airstrikes in restive Iraq on Thursday morning — the second in the space of a week.

France also said Thursday it would increase security in public places.

“Preventive measures against the risk of terrorism will be strengthened at public sites and on transport,” a statement from the French presidency said.

Though France has so far only carried out attacks in Iraq, French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian seemed to open the door to possible action in neighboring Syria, telling French radio on Thursday it was “a question that had to be asked.” Nevertheless, the minister stressed it was “an opportunity that is not on the table today. We have an important task to carry out in Iraq.”

Earlier this week, Australian police shot dead a terror suspect after he stabbed two officers during a meeting outside a Melbourne police station. Police said he may not have acted alone.

Some experts suspected the attack was inspired by the Islamic State group’s recent call to supporters to wage terrorism in their home countries.

Australian media reported there was evidence that the man may have been planning to behead the two officers and drape an Islamic State flag over their bodies.

Last week, a series of Australian counterterrorism raids led to the arrests of 15 people. Police said one of the plots uncovered involved a plan to kidnap and behead a random person to sow terror.

Overnight Wednesday-Thursday, US, Saudi and United Arab Emirates warplanes bombed oil installations in eastern Syria in a bid to cut off a significant source of funding for the IS group.

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