2021 Lerbin Anthrax Attacks

2021 Lerbin Anthrax Attacks
Lerbin police stand guard outside a metro station following the attacks
Location	Lerbin, Drambenburg
Date	September 4th, 2021 9:21 AM
Attack type	Terror attack, anthrax attack
Deaths	871 (initial)
Non-fatal injuries	41,312
Perpetrators	Al-Fijar

The 2021 Lerbin anthrax attacks were a terrorist attack that occured on September 4th, 2021 across Lerbin, Drambenburg, committed by a domestic cell of Al-Fijar sympathizers. In six coordinated attacks, the perpetrators released serosolized anthrax on four lines of the Lerbin Metro and Monorail System during rush hour, as well as Lerbin International Airport, killing 871 people, severely injuring 5,050 (several of whom later died), and causing temporary vision problems for nearly 38,000 others. Prior to the attack, the terrorists covertly planted several devices designed to slowly release aerosolized anthrax into the monorail stations. Agents of Khakus (Drambenburg's intelligence agency) operating off information from the Zamastanian Intelligence Service conducted a raid against the al-Fijar cell's suspected leader in an apartment, but a hidden bomb detonated and killed several agents and apartment residents. Ignoring evidence of an impending chemical attack, authorities declined to close off major transport systems, and less than two hours later the hidden devices released the anthrax.

In the weeks and days prior to the attack, the Zamastanian Intelligence Service had issued multiple warnings about possible further attacks after the Barona Mall bombing. This came after the conclusion of the Hisrea War in Zalluabed, in which the HPLF's armed branch known as the Irsani had pledged allegiance to al-Fijar and committed a suicide bombing in Saint Raneau, Albarine on August 26th. In the wake of the attacks, Chancellor Walde Herzog increased security around the nation's transportation networks. The attack remains the deadliest terrorist incident in Drambenburg as defined by modern standards, and is the greatest loss of civilian life in Drambenburg since the World War. Cleanup and detoxifying of the metro and monorail systems took over two months to complete, and the transport networks in Lerbin struggled to fully recover. Public outrage towards law enforcement and politicians increased substantially after the revelations of the investigations which showed proficient warnings of an impendding attack were ignored, and the fallout was a factor in Herzog's decision not to seek reelection.

Aftermath

After a two-month-long investigation by the Khakus Intelligence Agency, the findings were released on November 21st, 2021, to the public about the attack. After the ZIS informed the KIA's Anti-Terrorism's director Sebastian Krone about an impending attack at 3 AM on September 4th, the police and KIA immediately began tracking down the potential attackers. Around 8 AM, the KIA breached an apartment belonging to one of the supposed terrorists, upon which a bomb exploded, killing 6 members of the team and 11 other people in the apartment building. At the time, the public was told this was a gas explosion from a leaking stove.

Sometime around then, the members of the al-Fijar cell planted several devices designed to slowly release aerosolized anthrax into the monorail stations. The KIA had initially advised the government to shut down the public transportation system and the airport until the threat could be neutralized; however, fearing a mass panic, they did not shut any of it down. The resulting release of anthrax led to many deaths over the next week, bringing the death toll to 871 people.

Immediately after the planting of the devices in Lerbin International Airport, the members of the cell boarded a plane to Zalluabed, where they were tracked to the Hisrea province. Their whereabouts immediately following the attack remained classified, but at least three members of the cell were captured by Zalluabedi security forces and transferred over to Khakus agents on October 1st.