The brother in charge of collecting intelligence met a source who provided information on the government official-the target. The target was a local government official that the emir of the terrorist network wanted to kill. This military operation while tactical in nature would also send a strategic message to the population. A carefully crafted propaganda statement would also be released following the operation. One of the terrorist from the Hambali cell made a pass by the target location. A local government official was inside the compound which was protected by a small guard force. After having eyes on the target location and the exterior security, the intel collector for the cell had the final piece of intelligence for the attack. After careful planning an execution plan was developed and briefed to the emir. Logistics provided the attack vehicles and weapons to be used along with a suicide bomber vest.
The martyr was chosen and would be accompanied by a security brother who was to ensure the martyr would arrive on the target. The security brother and the martyr would be driven close to the target compound. The security brother would then engage the exterior compound guard with small talk and would be armed with a pistol. The brother would engage the guard with small arm fire if anything when wrong to allow the martyr to close the distance and detonate his device. The martyr worked with another brother to conceal the device and still have access to the black switch which would detonate the device.
The second arm of the attack would infiltrate into the surrounding area after being dropped off at the wood line by a vehicle and would be on foot moving with long guns. The plan called for these two brothers to assault the guard force inside the compound after the martyr detonated his device. A vehicle would pick up the cell after the attack. Within minutes chaos reigned. The guard retreated to a stronghold position when he felt suspicious of two unknown individuals approaching the compound front. Then the security brother fired prematurely and was engaged by the guard. The suicide bomber hesitated and was shot. One of the brothers who was to assault inside the compound was engaged by the guard force and driven off. But a decisive brother was able to assault from an elevated position and killed the rest of the security forces. The local government leader was killed before the brothers alive departed to a safe house where they debriefed the emir on their tactical and strategic successes. Minutes later the media and propaganda brother arrived back at the safe house with video of the attack that he would use in their propaganda. The brothers talked about the cascading effects of this attack and how they could launch “follow on operations” to win over the local population that suffered under this local government leader.
This wasn’t a terrorist operation but the Terrorism Research Center’s Mirror Image: Training to Combat Terrorism at the Spartan Ranch and Tactical Training Center in Maysville, North Carolina. Participants are placed into the shoes of a terrorist cell where they learn, plan, and execute operations learning the lessons by doing. This unique one-of-a-kind training is designed for military, law enforcement, intelligence and approved security officers. Participants step into the shoes of a terrorist cell and attend lectures each day and conduct casing and surveillance of targets as well as plan and execute operations. Over the years the Terrorism Research Center has trained thousands of individuals in this customized counter-terrorism program.
Register now for the Terrorism Research Center’s August 14-18th, Mirror Image: Training to Combat Terrorism or one of the upcoming Mirror Image Counter-terrorism training programs listed going out to February 2018. For more information on Mirror Image, topics, special guest speakers and exercises contact us at Purdy@terrorism3.com or at (703) 801-2297. TRC has the ability to bring this training to your organization’s location with our Mobile Training Teams. All participants must be approved before attending. For more information on TRC’s Mirror Image click on the link below.
The Point KYE 