The United Kingdom-based&nbsp;war monitor, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), reported that a group of suspected Islamic State (IS) militants&nbsp;killed at least 31&nbsp;people in central Syria on Sunday (April 16). The killings come&nbsp;at a time when there has been an increase in the number of attacks against people foraging for desert truffles.

The alleged attack on Sunday took place in the desert east and the central city of Hama where "a&nbsp;total of 31 people, including 12 pro-regime fighters"&nbsp;were&nbsp;killed,&nbsp;said the UK-based organisation. Earlier the SOHR had&nbsp;reported the death of at least 26 people, a figure confirmed by the official Syrian news agency SANA.

In a separate incident, on Saturday, suspected IS militants killed four shepherds in the eastern Syrian region of Deir Ezzor, said the Observatory, as per AFP. It added that they reportedly carried automatic rifles, rode motorbikes, and also stole the sheep before fleeing.&nbsp;

According to the SOHR, as of early 2023, at least “117 civilians, including a woman, were killed in attacks by ISIS in the Syrian desert.” This incident also comes days after multiple workers foraging for truffles were killed when their vehicle hit a landmine.&nbsp;

Nine truffle hunters were killed in Deir Ez-Zor province, on April 9, as per the SOHR. Whereas, the Syrian state-run SANA news agency reported six casualties and blamed the IS for the land mine. The group also said how the “truffle trap” continues claiming more civilians’ lives who risk their lives searching for it and seeking their livelihood.&nbsp;

Truffles in Syria are a seasonal delicacy found underground in the desert, and the SOHR has also mentioned previously how these truffles foragers are particularly vulnerable to land mines and IS militants since they work in large groups in remote areas. Additionally, these desert truffles are able to fetch high prices in a country which has been battered by over a decade of war and economic crisis.

Earlier this year, at least 53 truffle hunters were killed after IS sleeper cells attacked workers near the central town of Sukhna. In recent months, the militants have also abducted, held for ransom, and even killed truffle hunters. Since February, more than 200 people, mostly civilians have been killed in IS attacks targeting truffle hunters, said the Observatory.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
 
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The United Kingdom-based war monitor, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), reported that a group of suspected Islamic State (IS) militants killed at least 31 people in central Syria on Sunday (April 16).

The United Kingdom-based war monitor, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), reported that a group of suspected Islamic State (IS) militants killed at least 31 people in central Syria on Sunday (April 16). The killings come at a time when there has been an increase in the number of attacks against people foraging for desert truffles. The alleged attack on Sunday took place in the desert east and the central city of Hama where "a total of 31 people, including 12 pro-regime fighters" were killed, said the UK-based organisation. Earlier the SOHR had reported the death of at least 26 people, a figure confirmed by the official Syrian news agency SANA. In a separate incident, on Saturday, suspected IS militants killed four shepherds in the eastern Syrian region of Deir Ezzor, said the Observatory, as per AFP. It added that they reportedly carried automatic rifles, rode motorbikes, and also stole the sheep before fleeing. According to the SOHR, as of early 2023, at least “117 civilians, including a woman, were killed in attacks by ISIS in the Syrian desert.” This incident also comes days after multiple workers foraging for truffles were killed when their vehicle hit a landmine. Nine truffle hunters were killed in Deir Ez-Zor province, on April 9, as per the SOHR. Whereas, the Syrian state-run SANA news agency reported six casualties and blamed the IS for the land mine. The group also said how the “truffle trap” continues claiming more civilians’ lives who risk their lives searching for it and seeking their livelihood. Truffles in Syria are a seasonal delicacy found underground in the desert, and the SOHR has also mentioned previously how these truffles foragers are particularly vulnerable to land mines and IS militants since they work in large groups in remote areas. Additionally, these desert truffles are able to fetch high prices in a country which has been battered by over a decade of war and economic crisis. Earlier this year, at least 53 truffle hunters were killed after IS sleeper cells attacked workers near the central town of Sukhna. In recent months, the militants have also abducted, held for ransom, and even killed truffle hunters. Since February, more than 200 people, mostly civilians have been killed in IS attacks targeting truffle hunters, said the Observatory. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Syria: At least 31 truffle hunters killed in suspected IS attack, says war monitor

A day after Islamic States' fatal attack on a prison in northern Syria, the country's Kurdish-led forces increased their security fearing a similar attack and declared a state of 'alert,' a spokesperson said.&nbsp;

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) spokesman Farhad Shami said that they have information about potential IS attacks during the end of the year. He listed Raqa, Hasakeh and Qamishli cities as possible targets.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/syria-kurdish-people-protest-against-paris-gun-attack-546522/amp">Also read |&nbsp;Kurdish people protest in Syria against Paris gun attack that killed three from community</a>

<ul>
</ul>

On Monday (Dec 26), gunmen launched an attack on a security complex with hundreds of jihadists near a prison in Raqa which claimed the lives of six security personnel and one jihadist, AFP reported.&nbsp;

After the attack, the authorities declared a state of emergency.&nbsp;

It was one of the most significant attacks by the IS fighters after they attacked Ghwayran prison in Hasakeh in January.&nbsp;

Shami added that after the death of the leader in October, the new group's leader wants to reaffirm the terror group's presence.

SDF commander Mazloum Abdi after the attack claimed warned that "terrorist cells" are preparing for dangerous plots.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/turkey-in-talks-with-russia-about-using-syrian-airspace-in-potential-operation-546388">Also read |&nbsp;Turkey in talks with Russia about using Syrian airspace in potential operation</a>

IS claimed the responsibility for the attack saying that the gunmen carried out the attack to avenge "Muslim prisoners" and female relatives of jihadists that had been living in Kurdish administered Al-Hol camp.&nbsp;

Al-Hol is home to over 50,000 and the largest camp for displaced people who fled after the SDF led the battle that drove IS group members from Syrian territory in 2019.&nbsp;

Residents of Raqa expressed their fears and worries&nbsp;that IS wanted to stage a comeback.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

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A day after Islamic States' fatal attack on a prison in northern Syria, the country's Kurdish-led forces increased their security fearing a similar attack and declared a state of 'alert,' a spokesperson said.

A day after Islamic States' fatal attack on a prison in northern Syria, the country's Kurdish-led forces increased their security fearing a similar attack and declared a state of 'alert,' a spokesperson said. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) spokesman Farhad Shami said that they have information about potential IS attacks during the end of the year. He listed Raqa, Hasakeh and Qamishli cities as possible targets. Also read | Kurdish people protest in Syria against Paris gun attack that killed three from community On Monday (Dec 26), gunmen launched an attack on a security complex with hundreds of jihadists near a prison in Raqa which claimed the lives of six security personnel and one jihadist, AFP reported. After the attack, the authorities declared a state of emergency. It was one of the most significant attacks by the IS fighters after they attacked Ghwayran prison in Hasakeh in January. Shami added that after the death of the leader in October, the new group's leader wants to reaffirm the terror group's presence. SDF commander Mazloum Abdi after the attack claimed warned that "terrorist cells" are preparing for dangerous plots. Also read | Turkey in talks with Russia about using Syrian airspace in potential operation IS claimed the responsibility for the attack saying that the gunmen carried out the attack to avenge "Muslim prisoners" and female relatives of jihadists that had been living in Kurdish administered Al-Hol camp. Al-Hol is home to over 50,000 and the largest camp for displaced people who fled after the SDF led the battle that drove IS group members from Syrian territory in 2019. Residents of Raqa expressed their fears and worries that IS wanted to stage a comeback. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Syria's Kurdish-led forces 'on alert,' increases security over possible IS attacks, says official

Russia has claimed it foiled an attack planned by a cell loyal to the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group in the country's unstable southern republic of Dagestan.

In addition, Russia's FSB security service Saturday said, it has arrested four people.

"Members of the group planned to detonate an explosive close to an administrative building belonging to security services, followed by an armed attack against interior ministry employees" in regional capital Makhachkala, the FSB said in a statement.

As well as arresting four "members of the international IS terrorist group", investigators found "firearms and bladed weapons, a large amount of ammunition and an explosive device", it added, along with mobile phones containing "exchanges with organisers located abroad".

Russia's territories in the Caucasus were ravaged by two wars between federal troops and Chechen separatists in the 1990s and 2000s.

Increasingly Islamist in character, the insurgency spread to other republics in the region and declared allegiance to IS in 2015. Occasional attacks against the authorities persist in Chechnya, Dagestan and neighbouring Ingushetia.

Earlier on December 17, police killed two attackers targetting security forces in Russia's neighbouring republic of Chechnya.

In an October "counter-terrorism" operation in Chechnyan capital Grozny, six people were killed, including two members of the security forces.

Russia has claimed it foiled an attack planned by a cell loyal to the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group in the country's unstable southern republic of Dagestan. In addition, Russia's FSB security service Saturday said, it has arrested four people.

Russia has claimed it foiled an attack planned by a cell loyal to the Islamic State (IS) jihadist group in the country's unstable southern republic of Dagestan. In addition, Russia's FSB security service Saturday said, it has arrested four people. "Members of the group planned to detonate an explosive close to an administrative building belonging to security services, followed by an armed attack against interior ministry employees" in regional capital Makhachkala, the FSB said in a statement. As well as arresting four "members of the international IS terrorist group", investigators found "firearms and bladed weapons, a large amount of ammunition and an explosive device", it added, along with mobile phones containing "exchanges with organisers located abroad". Russia's territories in the Caucasus were ravaged by two wars between federal troops and Chechen separatists in the 1990s and 2000s. Increasingly Islamist in character, the insurgency spread to other republics in the region and declared allegiance to IS in 2015. Occasional attacks against the authorities persist in Chechnya, Dagestan and neighbouring Ingushetia. Earlier on December 17, police killed two attackers targetting security forces in Russia's neighbouring republic of Chechnya. In an October "counter-terrorism" operation in Chechnyan capital Grozny, six people were killed, including two members of the security forces.

Russia claims it intercepted IS attack plot

At least nine security service members were killed in a suspected Islamic State group attack in the southeastern Libyan town of Tazerbo on Friday, a senior security official said.

Eleven other people including civilians and a security chief were also "kidnapped" by members of the extremist group, which attacked a police station in the oasis town, added the official.

The Tazerbo desert region is controlled by the forces of strongman Khalifa Haftar, who heads the self-styled National Libyan Army (ANL).

The capital Tripoli is the seat of a rival administration -- the internationally-backed government led by Fayez al-Sarraj.

The attack, which has not yet been claimed, is the second in less than a month targeting forces loyal to Haftar.

The first, claimed by IS, killed at least five people in October in the central Kufra region.

Another attack in August claimed by IS killed 11 people including nine members of the ANL.

Torn apart by power struggles and undermined by chronic insecurity, Libya has become a haven for jihadists since the ouster and killing of Moamer Kadhafi in 2011.

IS took advantage of the chaos to gain a foothold in the city of Sirte in 2015 but forces loyal to a UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) resumed control of the city in December 2016 after eight months of deadly fighting.

Since then, some jihadists have returned to the desert in an attempt to regroup and reorganise.

In September, IS claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on the headquarters of the Libya's National Oil Company (NOC) in the heart of Tripoli which left two dead and 10 wounded.

Four months earlier, it also claimed an attack on the electoral commission headquarters which left 14 dead.

At least nine security service members were killed in a suspected Islamic State group attack in the southeastern Libyan town of Tazerbo on Friday, a senior security official said.

At least nine security service members were killed in a suspected Islamic State group attack in the southeastern Libyan town of Tazerbo on Friday, a senior security official said. Eleven other people including civilians and a security chief were also "kidnapped" by members of the extremist group, which attacked a police station in the oasis town, added the official. The Tazerbo desert region is controlled by the forces of strongman Khalifa Haftar, who heads the self-styled National Libyan Army (ANL). The capital Tripoli is the seat of a rival administration -- the internationally-backed government led by Fayez al-Sarraj. The attack, which has not yet been claimed, is the second in less than a month targeting forces loyal to Haftar. The first, claimed by IS, killed at least five people in October in the central Kufra region. Another attack in August claimed by IS killed 11 people including nine members of the ANL. Torn apart by power struggles and undermined by chronic insecurity, Libya has become a haven for jihadists since the ouster and killing of Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. IS took advantage of the chaos to gain a foothold in the city of Sirte in 2015 but forces loyal to a UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) resumed control of the city in December 2016 after eight months of deadly fighting. Since then, some jihadists have returned to the desert in an attempt to regroup and reorganise. In September, IS claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on the headquarters of the Libya's National Oil Company (NOC) in the heart of Tripoli which left two dead and 10 wounded. Four months earlier, it also claimed an attack on the electoral commission headquarters which left 14 dead.

Nine dead in suspected IS attack in Libya

Islamic State suicide attackers killed at least 50 people in a triple car bomb attack on Thursday among a group of refugees in northeast Syria, a medical source in the Kurdish Red Crescent said.

A large number of people were also injured by the three car bombs set off by the attackers, the source said.

The attack took place at Abu Fas, near the border of Deir al-Zor and Hasaka provinces, said a war monitor, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which said earlier that at least 18 people had been killed.

The dead included refugees fleeing the fighting in Deir al-Zor as well as members of the Kurdish Asayish security force, the Observatory reported. Syrian state television said dozens had been killed in the attack.

The jihadist group has lost swathes of its territory in both Syria and Iraq this year and is falling back on the towns and villages of the Euphrates valley southeast of Deir al-Zor.

The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias is pressing it from the north and a rival offensive by the Syrian army, supported by allies including Iran and Russia, is attacking it from the west.

On Wednesday it said it carried out an attack in the capital Damascus, where <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/triple-suicide-attack-near-damascus-police-hq-ministry-21303" target="_blank">three suicide bombers detonated their devices near a police headquarters,</a> killing two people and wounding six.

Aid agencies have warned that the fighting in eastern Syria is the worst in the country this year and that air strikes have caused hundreds of civilian casualties.

At least 50 killed and several people were left injured in a triple car bomb attack on Thursday, said a medical source in the Kurdish Red Crescent

Islamic State suicide attackers killed at least 50 people in a triple car bomb attack on Thursday among a group of refugees in northeast Syria, a medical source in the Kurdish Red Crescent said. A large number of people were also injured by the three car bombs set off by the attackers, the source said. The attack took place at Abu Fas, near the border of Deir al-Zor and Hasaka provinces, said a war monitor, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which said earlier that at least 18 people had been killed. The dead included refugees fleeing the fighting in Deir al-Zor as well as members of the Kurdish Asayish security force, the Observatory reported. Syrian state television said dozens had been killed in the attack. The jihadist group has lost swathes of its territory in both Syria and Iraq this year and is falling back on the towns and villages of the Euphrates valley southeast of Deir al-Zor. The US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias is pressing it from the north and a rival offensive by the Syrian army, supported by allies including Iran and Russia, is attacking it from the west. On Wednesday it said it carried out an attack in the capital Damascus, where three suicide bombers detonated their devices near a police headquarters, killing two people and wounding six. Aid agencies have warned that the fighting in eastern Syria is the worst in the country this year and that air strikes have caused hundreds of civilian casualties.

Islamic State attacks kill at least 50 in east Syria

Rebels belonging to a West-backed rebel camp killed atleast 30 militants of the Islamic State after a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the camp near the Jordanian border on Wednesday and attacked several of their outposts.&nbsp; 
 
The rebels, who belonged to the Forces of Martyr Ahmad al-Abdo, claimed that they had killed at least 30 of the attackers and suffered at least three casualties. The clashes took place in a sparsely populated desert area near the crossroads of the borders of Syria, Jordan and Iraq.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;We repelled the attack by Daesh (Islamic State) on several areas, and they failed to make any progress and have retreated,&quot; the rebels&#39; spokesman, Saeed Saif, said.&nbsp; 
 
The Islamic State also claimed the attack and said in a statement by its Damascus province that a suicide bomber named Abu Hafs al-Damashi had driven his car into the headquarters of those who it called &#39;Sahwat&#39;, a term used for forces backed by the West who are viewed as apostates by the ultra-hardline Sunni militants, &nbsp;killing at least 19 of them. 
 
The group said simultaneous attacks on several locations within the camp also killed another seven FSA fighters and were also able seize weapons before ending their operation. 
 
The Force of Martyr Ahmed al-Abdo is one of the groups aligned to the so-called Southern Front that a coalition of Western and Arab countries support and was one of the earliest Free Syrian Army (FSA) groups to get US-made anti-tank missiles. 
 
That backing is part of a strategy of preventing opposition-held southern Syria and the south-eastern desert area from falling into the hands of radical jihadist groups. 
 
The group&#39;s leader, Saleem Bakour, was killed in June by a suspected Islamic State militant. 
 
Islamic State claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack launched from the same area in June when a car crossed into Jordan and killed seven Jordanian border guards. 
 
US-backed rebels based in the Syrian border town of al-Tanf, further northeast, periodically clash with Islamic State militants who have a presence in the vast sparsely populated southeastern Syria desert. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters) 
&nbsp;

The Islamic State said in a statement that a suicide bomber had driven his car into the headquarters of those who it called 'Sahwat'

Rebels belonging to a West-backed rebel camp killed atleast 30 militants of the Islamic State after a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the camp near the Jordanian border on Wednesday and attacked several of their outposts. The rebels, who belonged to the Forces of Martyr Ahmad al-Abdo, claimed that they had killed at least 30 of the attackers and suffered at least three casualties. The clashes took place in a sparsely populated desert area near the crossroads of the borders of Syria, Jordan and Iraq. "We repelled the attack by Daesh (Islamic State) on several areas, and they failed to make any progress and have retreated," the rebels' spokesman, Saeed Saif, said. The Islamic State also claimed the attack and said in a statement by its Damascus province that a suicide bomber named Abu Hafs al-Damashi had driven his car into the headquarters of those who it called 'Sahwat', a term used for forces backed by the West who are viewed as apostates by the ultra-hardline Sunni militants, killing at least 19 of them. The group said simultaneous attacks on several locations within the camp also killed another seven FSA fighters and were also able seize weapons before ending their operation. The Force of Martyr Ahmed al-Abdo is one of the groups aligned to the so-called Southern Front that a coalition of Western and Arab countries support and was one of the earliest Free Syrian Army (FSA) groups to get US-made anti-tank missiles. That backing is part of a strategy of preventing opposition-held southern Syria and the south-eastern desert area from falling into the hands of radical jihadist groups. The group's leader, Saleem Bakour, was killed in June by a suspected Islamic State militant. Islamic State claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack launched from the same area in June when a car crossed into Jordan and killed seven Jordanian border guards. US-backed rebels based in the Syrian border town of al-Tanf, further northeast, periodically clash with Islamic State militants who have a presence in the vast sparsely populated southeastern Syria desert. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

33 dead in Islamic State suicide bomb attack on West-backed camp on Jordan-Syria border

DONT PUBLISH -- ANU 
 
 
The Islamic State group claimed responsibility today for its first attack in Germany, an axe and knife assault on a train carried out by a 17-year-old Afghan refugee. 
 
German authorities said they had found a hand-painted IS flag among the belongings of the asylum seeker, who seriously injured four members of a family of tourists from Hong Kong in his rampage. The teenage assailant was killed as he tried to flee. 
 
&quot;The perpetrator of the stabbing attack in Germany was one of the fighters of the Islamic State,&quot; the IS-linked Amaq news agency said. 
 
The assault on a regional train near the southern city of Wuerzburg late Monday left two of the victims critically hurt, said Joachim Herrmann, the interior minister of Bavaria state. 
 
&quot;We hope that those who were gravely injured make it,&quot; Herrmann told ZDF public television. 
 
Germany has thus far escaped the kind of large-scale jihadist attack seen in the southern French city of Nice last week, in which 31-year-old Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel used a truck to mow down 84 people. That attack was also claimed by IS. 
 
The terrifying assault in Bavaria is likely to revive a heated national debate about integrating migrants and refugees after a record influx last year. 
 
&#39;Like a slaughterhouse&#39; 
 
The assailant had arrived as an unaccompanied minor in Germany about two years ago and had been staying with a foster family in the region for the last two weeks, Herrmann said. 
 
&quot;It is quite probable that this was an Islamist attack,&quot; said a ministry spokesman hours after the attack, adding that the assailant was heard shouting &quot;Allahu akbar&quot; (God is greatest). 
 
However, he stressed that the investigation was ongoing and that the teenager appeared to have acted alone. 
 
&quot;We must determine what the motive was and to what extent he really belonged to the Islamist scene or self-radicalised very recently,&quot; Herrmann said, adding that the assailant had no criminal record in Germany. 
 
The assault happened around 9:15 pm (1915 GMT) on the train which runs between the town of Treuchtlingen and Wuerzburg in Bavaria. 
 
An eyewitness who lives next to the railway station told DPA news agency that the train, which had been carrying around 25 people, looked &quot;like a slaughterhouse&quot; with blood covering the floor. 
 
The man, who declined to give his name, said he saw people crawl from the carriage and ask for a first-aid kit as other victims lay on the floor inside. 
 
&quot;The perpetrator was able to leave the train, police left in pursuit and as part of this pursuit, they shot the attacker and killed him,&quot; a police spokesman said. 
 
Herrmann later said the teenager was shot when he attacked police while trying to escape the scene. 
 
Political tensions 
 
Germany has been spared major Islamist attacks but in May, a mentally unstable 27-year-old man wielding a knife killed one person and injured three others on another Bavarian regional train. 
 
Early reports had suggested he had yelled &quot;Allahu akbar&quot; but police later said there was no evidence pointing to a religious motive. He is being held in a psychiatric hospital. 
 
In February, a 15-year-old girl of Turkish origin stabbed a policeman in the neck with a kitchen knife at Hanover train station in what prosecutors later said was an IS-inspired attack. 
 
And police in April arrested two 16-year-olds over an explosion that wounded three people at a Sikh temple, in what was believed to be an Islamist-motivated attack against an Indian wedding party at a temple in the western city of Essen. 
 
Germany let in nearly 1.1 million asylum seekers last year, with Syrians the largest group followed by Afghans. 
 
However the number of refugees arriving in Germany has fallen sharply as a result of the closure of the Balkans migration route and an EU deal with Turkey to stem the flow. 
 
Bavaria is governed by the Christian Social Union (CSU), sister party to Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s conservative Christian Democrats, which has been loudly critical of Merkel&#39;s welcoming stance toward asylum seekers. 
 
The split threatened the unity of the ruling coalition in Berlin and sent the government&#39;s approval ratings plunging. 
 
It has also put wind in the sails of a right-wing populist party, Alternative for Germany, which was founded as a eurosceptic protest outfit in 2013 but now mainly rails against Islam and Germany&#39;s refugee influx. 
 
Merkel&#39;s popularity has rebounded recently but the Bavaria attack is likely to stoke political tensions. 
 
(AFP)

German authorities had found a hand-painted IS flag in the belongings of the teenage Afghan attacker. The assailant was killed while fleeing

DONT PUBLISH -- ANU The Islamic State group claimed responsibility today for its first attack in Germany, an axe and knife assault on a train carried out by a 17-year-old Afghan refugee. German authorities said they had found a hand-painted IS flag among the belongings of the asylum seeker, who seriously injured four members of a family of tourists from Hong Kong in his rampage. The teenage assailant was killed as he tried to flee. "The perpetrator of the stabbing attack in Germany was one of the fighters of the Islamic State," the IS-linked Amaq news agency said. The assault on a regional train near the southern city of Wuerzburg late Monday left two of the victims critically hurt, said Joachim Herrmann, the interior minister of Bavaria state. "We hope that those who were gravely injured make it," Herrmann told ZDF public television. Germany has thus far escaped the kind of large-scale jihadist attack seen in the southern French city of Nice last week, in which 31-year-old Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel used a truck to mow down 84 people. That attack was also claimed by IS. The terrifying assault in Bavaria is likely to revive a heated national debate about integrating migrants and refugees after a record influx last year. 'Like a slaughterhouse' The assailant had arrived as an unaccompanied minor in Germany about two years ago and had been staying with a foster family in the region for the last two weeks, Herrmann said. "It is quite probable that this was an Islamist attack," said a ministry spokesman hours after the attack, adding that the assailant was heard shouting "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest). However, he stressed that the investigation was ongoing and that the teenager appeared to have acted alone. "We must determine what the motive was and to what extent he really belonged to the Islamist scene or self-radicalised very recently," Herrmann said, adding that the assailant had no criminal record in Germany. The assault happened around 9:15 pm (1915 GMT) on the train which runs between the town of Treuchtlingen and Wuerzburg in Bavaria. An eyewitness who lives next to the railway station told DPA news agency that the train, which had been carrying around 25 people, looked "like a slaughterhouse" with blood covering the floor. The man, who declined to give his name, said he saw people crawl from the carriage and ask for a first-aid kit as other victims lay on the floor inside. "The perpetrator was able to leave the train, police left in pursuit and as part of this pursuit, they shot the attacker and killed him," a police spokesman said. Herrmann later said the teenager was shot when he attacked police while trying to escape the scene. Political tensions Germany has been spared major Islamist attacks but in May, a mentally unstable 27-year-old man wielding a knife killed one person and injured three others on another Bavarian regional train. Early reports had suggested he had yelled "Allahu akbar" but police later said there was no evidence pointing to a religious motive. He is being held in a psychiatric hospital. In February, a 15-year-old girl of Turkish origin stabbed a policeman in the neck with a kitchen knife at Hanover train station in what prosecutors later said was an IS-inspired attack. And police in April arrested two 16-year-olds over an explosion that wounded three people at a Sikh temple, in what was believed to be an Islamist-motivated attack against an Indian wedding party at a temple in the western city of Essen. Germany let in nearly 1.1 million asylum seekers last year, with Syrians the largest group followed by Afghans. However the number of refugees arriving in Germany has fallen sharply as a result of the closure of the Balkans migration route and an EU deal with Turkey to stem the flow. Bavaria is governed by the Christian Social Union (CSU), sister party to Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats, which has been loudly critical of Merkel's welcoming stance toward asylum seekers. The split threatened the unity of the ruling coalition in Berlin and sent the government's approval ratings plunging. It has also put wind in the sails of a right-wing populist party, Alternative for Germany, which was founded as a eurosceptic protest outfit in 2013 but now mainly rails against Islam and Germany's refugee influx. Merkel's popularity has rebounded recently but the Bavaria attack is likely to stoke political tensions. (AFP)

IS claims first German attack with train axe assault

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility today for its first attack in Germany, an axe and knife assault on a train carried out by a 17-year-old Afghan refugee. 
 
German authorities said they had found a hand-painted IS flag among the belongings of the asylum seeker, who seriously injured four members of a family of tourists from Hong Kong in his rampage. The teenage assailant was killed as he tried to flee. 
 
&quot;The perpetrator of the stabbing attack in Germany was one of the fighters of the Islamic State,&quot; the IS-linked Amaq news agency said. 
 
The assault on a regional train near the southern city of Wuerzburg late Monday left two of the victims critically hurt, said Joachim Herrmann, the interior minister of Bavaria state. 
 
&quot;We hope that those who were gravely injured make it,&quot; Herrmann told ZDF public television. 
 
Germany has thus far escaped the kind of large-scale jihadist attack seen in the southern French city of Nice last week, in which 31-year-old Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel used a truck to mow down 84 people. That attack was also claimed by IS. 
 
The terrifying assault in Bavaria is likely to revive a heated national debate about integrating migrants and refugees after a record influx last year. 
 
&#39;Like a slaughterhouse&#39; 
 
The assailant had arrived as an unaccompanied minor in Germany about two years ago and had been staying with a foster family in the region for the last two weeks, Herrmann said. 
 
&quot;It is quite probable that this was an Islamist attack,&quot; said a ministry spokesman hours after the attack, adding that the assailant was heard shouting &quot;Allahu akbar&quot; (God is greatest). 
 
However, he stressed that the investigation was ongoing and that the teenager appeared to have acted alone. 
 
&quot;We must determine what the motive was and to what extent he really belonged to the Islamist scene or self-radicalised very recently,&quot; Herrmann said, adding that the assailant had no criminal record in Germany. 
 
The assault happened around 9.15 pm (1915 GMT) on the train which runs between the town of Treuchtlingen and Wuerzburg in Bavaria. 
 
An eyewitness who lives next to the railway station told DPA news agency that the train, which had been carrying around 25 people, looked &quot;like a slaughterhouse&quot; with blood covering the floor. 
 
The man, who declined to give his name, said he saw people crawl from the carriage and ask for a first-aid kit as other victims lay on the floor inside. 
 
&quot;The perpetrator was able to leave the train, police left in pursuit and as part of this pursuit, they shot the attacker and killed him,&quot; a police spokesman said. 
 
Herrmann later said the teenager was shot when he attacked police while trying to escape the scene. 
 
Political tensions 
 
Germany has been spared major Islamist attacks but in May, a mentally unstable 27-year-old man wielding a knife killed one person and injured three others on another Bavarian regional train. 
 
Early reports had suggested he had yelled &quot;Allahu akbar&quot; but police later said there was no evidence pointing to a religious motive. He is being held in a psychiatric hospital. 
 
In February, a 15-year-old girl of Turkish origin stabbed a policeman in the neck with a kitchen knife at Hanover train station in what prosecutors later said was an IS-inspired attack. 
 
And police in April arrested two 16-year-olds over an explosion that wounded three people at a Sikh temple, in what was believed to be an Islamist-motivated attack against an Indian wedding party at a temple in the western city of Essen. 
 
Germany let in nearly 1.1 million asylum seekers last year, with Syrians the largest group followed by Afghans. 
 
However the number of refugees arriving in Germany has fallen sharply as a result of the closure of the Balkans migration route and an EU deal with Turkey to stem the flow. 
 
Bavaria is governed by the Christian Social Union (CSU), sister party to Chancellor Angela Merkel&#39;s conservative Christian Democrats, which has been loudly critical of Merkel&#39;s welcoming stance toward asylum seekers. 
 
The split threatened the unity of the ruling coalition in Berlin and sent the government&#39;s approval ratings plunging. 
 
It has also put wind in the sails of a right-wing populist party, Alternative for Germany, which was founded as a eurosceptic protest outfit in 2013 but now mainly rails against Islam and Germany&#39;s refugee influx. 
 
Merkel&#39;s popularity has rebounded recently but the Bavaria attack is likely to stoke political tensions. 
 
(AFP)

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility today for its first attack in Germany, an axe and knife assault on a train carried out by a 17-year-old Afghan refugee. German authorities said they had found a hand-painted IS flag among the belongings of the asylum seeker, who seriously injured four members of a family of tourists from Hong Kong in his rampage. The teenage assailant was killed as he tried to flee. "The perpetrator of the stabbing attack in Germany was one of the fighters of the Islamic State," the IS-linked Amaq news agency said. The assault on a regional train near the southern city of Wuerzburg late Monday left two of the victims critically hurt, said Joachim Herrmann, the interior minister of Bavaria state. "We hope that those who were gravely injured make it," Herrmann told ZDF public television. Germany has thus far escaped the kind of large-scale jihadist attack seen in the southern French city of Nice last week, in which 31-year-old Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel used a truck to mow down 84 people. That attack was also claimed by IS. The terrifying assault in Bavaria is likely to revive a heated national debate about integrating migrants and refugees after a record influx last year. 'Like a slaughterhouse' The assailant had arrived as an unaccompanied minor in Germany about two years ago and had been staying with a foster family in the region for the last two weeks, Herrmann said. "It is quite probable that this was an Islamist attack," said a ministry spokesman hours after the attack, adding that the assailant was heard shouting "Allahu akbar" (God is greatest). However, he stressed that the investigation was ongoing and that the teenager appeared to have acted alone. "We must determine what the motive was and to what extent he really belonged to the Islamist scene or self-radicalised very recently," Herrmann said, adding that the assailant had no criminal record in Germany. The assault happened around 9.15 pm (1915 GMT) on the train which runs between the town of Treuchtlingen and Wuerzburg in Bavaria. An eyewitness who lives next to the railway station told DPA news agency that the train, which had been carrying around 25 people, looked "like a slaughterhouse" with blood covering the floor. The man, who declined to give his name, said he saw people crawl from the carriage and ask for a first-aid kit as other victims lay on the floor inside. "The perpetrator was able to leave the train, police left in pursuit and as part of this pursuit, they shot the attacker and killed him," a police spokesman said. Herrmann later said the teenager was shot when he attacked police while trying to escape the scene. Political tensions Germany has been spared major Islamist attacks but in May, a mentally unstable 27-year-old man wielding a knife killed one person and injured three others on another Bavarian regional train. Early reports had suggested he had yelled "Allahu akbar" but police later said there was no evidence pointing to a religious motive. He is being held in a psychiatric hospital. In February, a 15-year-old girl of Turkish origin stabbed a policeman in the neck with a kitchen knife at Hanover train station in what prosecutors later said was an IS-inspired attack. And police in April arrested two 16-year-olds over an explosion that wounded three people at a Sikh temple, in what was believed to be an Islamist-motivated attack against an Indian wedding party at a temple in the western city of Essen. Germany let in nearly 1.1 million asylum seekers last year, with Syrians the largest group followed by Afghans. However the number of refugees arriving in Germany has fallen sharply as a result of the closure of the Balkans migration route and an EU deal with Turkey to stem the flow. Bavaria is governed by the Christian Social Union (CSU), sister party to Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats, which has been loudly critical of Merkel's welcoming stance toward asylum seekers. The split threatened the unity of the ruling coalition in Berlin and sent the government's approval ratings plunging. It has also put wind in the sails of a right-wing populist party, Alternative for Germany, which was founded as a eurosceptic protest outfit in 2013 but now mainly rails against Islam and Germany's refugee influx. Merkel's popularity has rebounded recently but the Bavaria attack is likely to stoke political tensions. (AFP)

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