Press "Enter" to skip to content

ISIS raises tension bar, threatens attack at Russia 2018 with a picture of Messi in blood tear

ISIS has issued another threat of an attack during the FIFA 2018 World Cup in Russia, increasing room for concern about safety at the competition.

The latest threat showed the picture of five time Best player of the year winner, Lionel Messi, standing behind bars with a tear of blood from his eyes.

The image which was released by Wafa Media Foundation was discovered by Site Intelligence Group and it had a message, “You are fighting a state that does not have failure in its dictionary,” alongside Nike’s tagline of “Just do it” turned into “Just Terrorism.”

This comes as the latest threat following last week’s image of an ISIS fighter carrying a rifle and a bomb standing in front of a stadium with ISIS black flag.

There have been similar posters all threatening attacks at the Russia 2018. Earlier, ISIS had posted an image of the official logo of Russia 2018 exploding with various captions with one reading, “We are the one who chooses the battlefield.”

However, it remains difficult to weigh the seriousness of the threat following previous threats that never saw daylight. Similar threats were made during Euro 2016 in France and Women’s European Championship in 2017, but both tournaments went through without any attack recorded.

In November 2015, series of bomb blasts were set off in  Paris, with one exploding just outside the Stade de France during a friendly match between France and Germany. ISIS also claimed responsibility for the shooting attacks which late occurred same night at a concert in Paris in which 130 persons were killed.

With tension mounting as the Russia 2018 World Cup draws nearer, FIFA has raised concerns on the readiness of Russia to provide adequate safety during the tournament.

Early this year, the head of the Russian National Anti-Terrorism Committee said preparations were already being made to guarantee safety at the World Cup.

“We have taken into account the huge experience, accumulated by the National Anti-Terrorism Committee and the security organizations involved in providing security for the Sochi Olympic Games, the Kazan Universiade and other huge events, of course, special attention will be paid to providing anti-terrorism safeguards of the infrastructure that will be used for hosting the competition, such as the teams’ stadiums, accommodation units and training facilities,” Igor Kulyagin told Russian news agency.

Russia 2018 also faces challenges of cyber terrorism and widespread hooliganism. Recently, a number of hooligan gangs threatened to attack fans especially from England.

Russia’s relentless bombings in Syria last year seen by many as a turning point in the civil war may be connected to the attacks and threats in Russia.

The Russia 2018 World Cup commences in June 14, 2018.

Facebook Comments
ETN24 - Explaining the News is about putting News in the correct context to promote understanding and education. We believe News should educate, not agitate. Our dedication is to fighting Fake and Sensational News, as well as to keep an eye on the media to ensure our peace and sanity are not sold for traffic.
+ posts