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US Warning on Truck-Ramming Terror Attacks | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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French police forces and forensic officers stand next to a truck July 15, 2016 that ran into a crowd celebrating the Bastille Day national holiday on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, France. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard


Washington- The Transportation Security Administration has warned that terrorists could resort to vehicle-ramming as ISIS media is sending signals to Muslims in the US on how to commit terrorist attacks.

The TSA has told the trucking and busing industries to watch for terrorists who might be preparing to ram vehicles into people and buildings, CNN reported on Friday.

Businesses should take measures to prevent the theft of commercial motor vehicles and watch for suspicious behaviors by those who might want to rent or buy such vehicles, the report said.

According to CNN, the TSA highlighted 17 attacks that have killed more than 170 people around the world since 2014.

It referred to a July 206 attack in which a man drove a truck into pedestrians in Nice, France, killing 84 people during a Bastille Day celebration.

The TSA warning came as the Washington Post reported that ISIS has called through its propaganda magazine on terrorist recruits in the United States to take advantage of laws that allow people to buy firearms without having to present identification or submit to background checks.

Recruits should seek out gun shows and online sales in particular, ISIS said.

“The acquisition of firearms can be very simple depending on one’s geographical location,” it said.

“With approximately 5,000 gun shows taking place annually within the United States,” it added, “the acquisition of firearms becomes a very easy matter.”

The National Rifle Association, gun rights activists and some civil rights lawyers contend that terrorism watch lists are too flawed to justify a ban and would violate people’s civil rights. The NRA also argues against legislation designed to close “loopholes,” saying federal law applies wherever a firearm sale takes place.