IS setting its eyes on outstanding international resorts

Nahla Abdelmonem

The Islamic State group is keen on staging attacks that cause maximum loss of life, in its bid to threaten the economies of states.

This is why the group’s attacks against resorts is viewed as its most dangerous.

IS has been paying increasing attention to coastal areas. The group does not only want to stage attacks against these areas, but also to control them.

Some of these areas play important roles in bringing in income for countries. This is why the group wants to control the coasts of the Maldives and Mozambique.

IS launches its attacks on resorts and coastal areas, especially when they buzz with visitors and tourists with the aim of killing the largest number of people.

The terrorist group launched an attack in Barcelona, one of the most important tourist destinations in Spain, in August 2017. The attack left 14 people dead and dozens of others injured. It launched another attack in the coastal town of Cambrils in the same month.

These attacks took place inside the cities. However, the original plan was for them to be staged in coastal areas. The explosive belts that were prepared to be used in the attacks in these areas went off by mistake inside the cities, according to investigations by the Police Department in Barcelona in 2018.

In August 2017, the authorities succeeded in foiling an attack with an explosive belt in Cambrils and killing five IS members. The attempted attack caused panic among vacationers in the resort.