Terrorism evolving, defying protection efforts

Jihadist-inspired local groups or individuals are increasingly challenging traditional security protection against evolving terrorism methods.

In Mumbai, India, on 26th November, 2008, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba, a Pakistani Islamist terrorist group, struck hotels and the main train station. Ten heavily armed men killed 164 people. Security forces took three days to regain control.

In Toulouse and Montauban, France, in March, 2012, three soldiers and then three children and one adult at a Jewish school were murdered by lone gunman Mohammed Merah, a French petty criminal of Algerian descent who said he was inspired by al Qaeda. He was killed by police after a 30-hour siege.

In Nairobi, Kenya, on 21st September, 2013, Islamist terrorist group al-Shabaab attacked the Westgate Shopping Mall; six men with automatic weapons and grenades killed 68 people; 200 were wounded. The army took four days to regain control.

Security expert Claude Moniquet looked at similarities between those attackers