OFFICE OF CYBER AND INFRASTRUCTURE ANALYSIS (OCIA) assesses the number of vehicle-ramming attacks since January 2016
September 15th, 2017OCIA-Foreign_Terrorist_Organization-Inspired_Vehicle_Ramming_Attacks_on_Commercial_Facilities_FOUO OFFICE OF CYBER AND INFRASTRUCTURE ANALYSIS (OCIA)
September 2017
OCIA assesses the increase in the number of vehicle-ramming attacks since January 2016 indicates Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) messaging efforts are probably resonating with violent extremists and will most likely continue in the near term. FTO-inspired violent extremists will probably continue to plan and engage in vehicle-ramming attacks against Western-based mass gathering and public venues since this tactic often requires minimal training, expertise, and preoperational planning.
Since January 2016, eight FTO-inspired vehicle-ramming attacks have occurred in Western countries.
OCIA identified three common characteristics among these attacks:
- targeting of public venues or mass gatherings;
- use of secondary weapons; and
- lack of observable indicators immediately before the attack. The Commercial Facilities Sector is at the greatest risk of attack from FTO-inspired vehicle-ramming operations because of the recurring presence of mass gatherings at these locations, the potential for adverse economic impacts, and the media attention these types of attacks regularly receive.