According to the latest report from London-based charity Action on Armed Violence (AOAV) on global Improvised Explosive Device (IED) incidents, IEDs caused 1,456 recorded casualties, including 450 deaths and 1,006 injuries, in the first half of 2023 alone. Most civilian casualties caused by IEDs occurred in urban residential areas, public buildings, and places of worship.
The analysis highlights the “urgent need for improved prevention measures, public safety initiatives, and international cooperation” in response to the concerning upwards trend in IED-related incidents in 2023 (ReliefWeb, a tool by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs).
Below are just a few examples of countless domestic bomb threats and IED-related detonations, arrests, evacuations, and casualties so far this year.
3/15/24 – FBI raids Madisonville home; arrests man for making homemade bombs
A man was arrested in Madisonville, LA for building improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in his home. The IEDs were constructed using “everyday items, many of which he ordered on Amazon. These included coffee filters, airbag materials, and a chemical compound associated with cancer treatment, known as hydrazine sulfate”, showcasing how simple and accessible it is for lone actors to build explosive devices.
2/29/24 – ‘Homemade explosive’ detonates at dog park, kills 1 Strasburg man in Aurora
An accidental firework explosion killed a man in Aurora, CO as he was lighting one in a park. Flares such as commercial fireworks can easily injure and even kill if accidentally mishandled; purposeful detonations can have even more devastating widescale effects.
2/7/24 – Arrest papers contain new details on Colorado Springs explosion suspect
Surveillance cameras captured a detonation of an “improvised hot air balloon” in downtown Colorado Springs that caused damage to several businesses and buildings. One business owner described shrapnel shooting “through her garage door going 15 feet into her building…[and blowing] out four of her windows”.
1/30/24 – Brothers charged after homemade explosives, hit list and ghost guns found in their NYC apartment
Two brothers were arrested for possession of improvised homemade explosives and assault rifles in New York City. In addition, “Instructions for making a variety of bombs, anarchist propaganda and a ‘hit list,’ with ‘cops, judges, politicians, celebrities’ and ‘banker scum’ scrawled on it” was found in their home. The ease of constructing homemade bombs makes terrorism dangerously accessible to bad actors.
1/3/24 – Lincoln man arrested after setting off homemade bomb
A man in Lincoln, NE was arrested for detonating a 6-inch homemade explosive device in a residential neighborhood. Luckily, no one was injured.
Evidently, homemade explosives are dangerously easy to build and detonate in public spaces. Bad actors can easily obtain the necessary materials and chemicals on Amazon, build IEDs that can fit into the palm of a hand, and commit devastating terrorist attacks that present an asymmetrical threat to the public.
Given the common inorganic components of IEDs, there is an ever-present need for technology that can get ahead of bad actors and violent incidents. To address this critical demand, GreyScan Detection innovated the ETD-100. Portable and easy to use, the ETD-100 can be easily integrated into security checkpoints at large venues for concerts and sports events, transportation ports, and buildings with high security needs to prevent attacks by IEDs.
Sources
https://reliefweb.int/report/world/122-rise-global-civilian-fatalities-explosive-weapons-2023-year-harm-reviewed
https://www.hstoday.us/subject-matter-areas/counterterrorism/countering-the-threat-lone-wolves-homemade-explosives-and-the-path-to-a-safer-future-part-iii/