October 2017 Tofino Attacks

October 2017 Tofino Attacks
A family spends a moment of reflection at a memorial created at the site of one of the attacks on October 20th, 2017
Location	Tofino, Zian, Zamastan
Date	October 18th, 2017
Attack type	Suicide attacks, mass shootings, bombings
Weapons	Beroskev 370 assault rifles, TATP suicide vests
Deaths	438
Non-fatal injuries	1,693
Perpetrators	24 members of the Malvarian Liberation Front
Motive	Opposition to airstrikes against M.L.F. and international sanctions against Malvare

The October 2017 Tofino Attacks, also commonly referred to as the 2017 Tofino Terror Attacks were a series of coordinated terrorist attacks that took place on 18th October 2017 in Tofino, Zamastan and the city's northern suburb, Tirzah. Beginning at 21:16, five suicide bombers struck the Tofino metro subway line. This was followed by several mass shootings and a suicide bombing, at cafés and restaurants. The attackers killed 438 people, including 298 in the subway systems. Another 690+ people were injured, almost 400 seriously. Seven of the attackers also died while the authorities continued to search for accomplices. The attacks were the deadliest in Zamastan since the Alanis Pride Parade Bombing. Zamastan had not been on high alert since the end of the Second War in Vulkaria, during which 2 lone-wolf attacks took place at an office complex and a supermarket in Tofino and Jade Harbor that killed 8 people and wounded 22, including civilians and police officers.

The Malvarian Liberation Front claimed responsibility for the attacks, saying that it was retaliation for the support of the Vulkarian government in continued fights against their insurgency. The President of Zamastan, Zacharias Castovia, said the attacks were an act of war by M.L.F.. The attacks were planned in Vulkaria and organised by a terrorist cell based in Gladysynthia, aided by undercover West Chanchajillan and Malvarean regime operatives. Most of the Tofino attackers had West Chanchajillan citizenship, two were Cadairian, and some had fought in Vulkaria, but all were granted asylum under Zamastan's legislation among the flow of migrants and refugees. The attackers were overlooked as suspects initially because they had entered through East Chanchajilla and Avergnonian border checks.

In response to the attacks, a three-month state of emergency was declared across the country to help fight terrorism, which involved the banning of public demonstrations, and allowing the police to carry out searches without a warrant, put anyone under house arrest without trial and block websites that encouraged acts of terrorism. On 21 October, Zamastan launched the biggest airstrike of Operation Vulkar Rain, its contribution to the anti-M.L.F. bombing campaign, striking M.L.F. targets in Vulkaria. On 22 October, the suspected lead operative of the attacks, Ezra Pomannuk, was killed in a police raid in Arinals, along with two others. Malvare, which was found to have supported the terrorist's training while in Gladysynthia, was subject to crippling sanctions by Zamastan and much of the international community. The Zamastanian Intelligence Service also saw major overhauls, with Director Kirk Faulkman establishing anti-terrorism task forces that laid ground work for essential operations against Al-Fijar in the following years.

Background

Zamastan's terror level had been at its lowest since the end of the Second War in Vulkaria, with the presumed disimilation of the Malvarian Liberation Front and the conclusion of the Vongane Trials, including the execution of Samuel Kannit in 2008. Security in general was undergoing overhauls to modernize and update for several events, including the planned 2009 World Cup in Providence, Northern Isle, and the annual opening of the General Assembly of the Coalition of Crown Albatross on October 23rd.

Immigration reforms implemented by Congressional Hall in June of 2017 granted asylum to tens of thousands of refugees to the Tofino-Arinals Metropolitan Area, many of whom were from war-torn and impoverished countries like Jaginistan and Saudi Jiddiya, which meant any suspects to authorities and the Zamastanian Intelligence Service naturally would be from factioned-countries where groups with growing noteriety, such as Al-Fijar, were beginning to take root. In July of 2017, 15 of the soon-to-be attackers entered the country via asylum from East Chanchajilla, where they had illegally crossed into via West Chanchajilla. The West Chanchajillan government, hurting under constraints of international sanctions, was sympathetic to the sanctions placed on their only international ally, Malvare. Frederick Armbar, the dictator of West Chanchajilla, and his top general Derick'a Baana provided training to the attackers. In September, 9 of the attackers illegally crossed East Chanchajilla into Avergnon, and from there used fake passports to gain entry to Zamastan. All attackers crossed the country and travelled to Tofino, where they would live for the next month and meet regularly to plan the attack, with Ezra Pomannuk widely believed to be the leader of the group. They purchased weapons and explosive material from black market smugglers at the port of Jade Harbor while they scoped out possible sites to attack.

Of the sites that were survied by the terrorists as possible places to attack, they included the Zian Presidential Mansion, the Congressional Hall Capitol Building, the New Peace Tower, and the Supreme Court Building. Eventually, however, it was deemed that these areas of administrative and government importance were too heavily guarded, and softer targets would have to be targeted to maximize the terror.

Attacks

Six groups of four men each carried out 8 distinct attacks over the course of the evening of October 18th. Three attacks were suicide bombing attacks, while the remaining five were mass shootings. At the conclusion of the attacks, 19 of the terrorists were killed either by suicide or in stand-offs with police, while two were apprehended and three escaped, including Pomannuk. Pomannuk and the other two escapees were tracked down and killed in a raid in Arinals four days later.

Egret Stadium explosions

Egret Stadium

Four explosions occurred at the Cliff FC soccer stadium, Egret Stadium, in the suburb of Kingston, resulting in 31 deaths, including the four suicide bombers. The explosions happened at 21:11, 21:12, and the final two in succession at 21:17. The first explosion near the stadium was about 20 minutes after the start of a football match between Tofino and the Providence Raptors. Secretary of State Avi Taures was in attendance, a regular fan of the Cliff FC. The first bomber was prevented from entering the stadium after a security guard patted him down and found the explosive vest, at which point he detonated the vest, killing himself and 5 bystanders. Investigators later surmised that the first two suicide bombers had planned to detonate their vests within the stadium, triggering the crowd's panicked exit onto the streets where two other bombers were lying in wait. Only 43 seconds after the first bombing, the second bomber blew himself on the street up near the stadium, killing 2 people. Another 5 minutes after that, the third and fourth bomber's vest detonated at a metro entrance as people started leaving the area, resulting in 24 deaths.

Moments after the bombings at the stadium, Secretary Taures was evacuated and got in contact with President Zacharias Castovia, deciding to meet at the Zian Presidential Mansion with security advisors to co-ordinate a response to the attack. Two of the explosions were heard on the live televised broadcast of the match; both football coaches were informed by officials of a developing crisis, but players and fans were kept unaware of it until halftime forty minutes later when more attacks had occured by that time. Although Castovia was concerned about the safety of the crowd outside the stadium, his security advisors could not be assured that more bombings would occur if the match was immediately cancelled, decided that the game should continue without a public announcement.

Following the game, fans were brought onto the pitch to await evacuation as police monitored all the exits around the venue. Security sources said all four explosions were suicide bombings. The Raptors football team was advised not to return to their hotel.

Reactions and Response

The attacks were condemned across the Coalition of Crown Albatross. Gladysynthia offered a rare statement of support to Zamastan following the attack and promised to further its commitment to fighting the M.L.F. and the G.P.F.F.. Avergnon and Ruskayn offered intelligence support from their respective agencies and the Vulkarian Secretary for Homeland Security pledged to watch suspected terror cells closely for any further activity regarding the attacks. President Callum MacTavish of Ruskayn and President Xi Jingyi of Yuan met with Castovia shortly after the attacks to discuss a closer intelligence sharing apparatus. Beleroskov offered support in terms of military aid to the fight against the M.L.F., though it was declined by coalition forces.