ASIA

North Korea / South Korea (Security threat levels – 3 / 2): On 6 October 2022, at least eight North Korean military aircraft — including four fighter jets and four bombers — flew in formation near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) — which demarcates the country’s border with South Korea — prompting the South Korean military to scramble at least 30 aircraft in response amid the latest escalation in provocations between the two countries. The military aircraft of both countries stayed on their respective sides of the DMZ. According to a South Korean military spokesperson, the North Korean aircraft appeared to be conducting air-to-surface firing drills. Earlier the same day, the North Korean military launched two short-range ballistic missiles from the Pyongyang area into the Sea of Japan as the U.S. Navy was in the process of repositioning the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier into waters near the Korean Peninsula. Both projectiles landed in waters outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone.

EUROPE

United Kingdom (Security threat level – 3): At approximately 0945 local time (0845 UTC) on 6 October 2022, an assailant stabbed and wounded three people during a suspected robbery on Bishopsgate Road near Liverpool Street Station in central London. Reports indicate that the assailant snatched a cell phone from one of the victims and resorted to stabbing when the latter fought back. The other two victims were passersby who intervened to stop the robbery. All three people were hospitalized for treatment.

MIDDLE EAST

Turkey (Security threat level – 3): On 6 October 2022, authorities evacuated the passengers of a Turkish Airlines Boeing 737 aircraft after one of the aircraft’s tires burst during a hard landing at Hatay Airport (LTDA/HTY) in southern Turkey — located approximately 20 km (10 mi) west of the Syrian border. According to airport officials, the landing gear of the aircraft — which was operating flight TK2256 to Hatay from Istanbul — overheated as the aircraft was landing, causing the tire to burst. Firefighters and emergency personnel quickly responded to the incident, and all 104 passengers and six crew members were evacuated from the aircraft safely. There were no immediate reports of flight disruptions at the airport following the accident.

NORTH AMERICA

Mexico (Security threat level – 4): On the afternoon of 5 October 2022, suspected members of the Los Tequileros gang targeted residents and the city hall of the town of San Miguel Totolapan — located in Guerrero state, approximately 195 km (120 mi) southwest of the capital Mexico City. The attackers initially fired gunshots and threw projectiles at civilians on several streets and in various residences before they opened fire on city hall. The attack continued for at least an hour before security personnel arrived on the scene and repelled the assailants. The gunfire killed at least 18 people, including the town’s mayor and his father, a former mayor himself, and wounded three others. Earlier in the day, video footage was posted on social media platforms in which alleged members of Los Tequileros declared their return to the region. The Los Tequileros gang is affiliated with the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación, which is engaged in a turf war against the La Familia Michoacána cartel in Guerrero’s Tierra Caliente region.

United States (Security threat level – 2): Shortly after 1900 local time on 5 October 2022 (2300 UTC on 6 October), a commercial aircraft with approximately 45 people on board veered off the runway after landing at Dayton International Airport (KDAY/DAY), located in the state of Ohio. The Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft was taxiing to the terminal at the time of the incident. All occupants safely disembarked the aircraft without any reported injuries. Following the incident, flight operations at the airport were suspended for about two hours as the aircraft was towed to the terminal. The aircraft was operating United Airlines flight 3818 to Dayton from Virginia’s Washington Dulles International Airport (KIAD/IAD). The cause of the incident is under investigation.

SOUTHEAST ASIA

Thailand (Security threat level – 3): On the afternoon of 6 October 2022, a gunman opened fire on a childcare center in the town of Uthai Sawan, located in the northeastern province of Nong Bua Lamphu. According to a local police official, 37 individuals were killed in the attack and 12 others were wounded. The assailant, a former police officer, later killed his own family and committed suicide. The motive for the attack is unknown; the attacker was dismissed from the police force earlier in 2022 for drug-related offenses.

GOVERNMENT WARNINGS

Somalia (Security threat level – 5): On 6 October 2022, the U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu issued a Security Alert, which reads in part as follows: “The U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu continues to closely monitor the security situation in the city of Mogadishu, including Aden Adde Airport. The U.S. Embassy in Mogadishu introduced travel restrictions for U.S. government personnel in Mogadishu for the immediate future, including outside the international campus and UN compound.

“The U.S. Embassy reminds the public of Somalia’s Travel Advisory, which states that terrorists continue to plot kidnappings, bombings, and other attacks in Somalia. Attacks may occur with little or no warning, targeting airports and seaports, government buildings, hotels, restaurants, shopping areas, and other areas that attract large crowds and are frequented by Westerners, as well as government, military, and Western convoys. Methods of attack can include car bombs, suicide bombers, individual attackers, and mortar fire, among others. Terrorist attacks involving the indiscriminate use of explosive devices and other weapons can take place anywhere in Somalia at any time without warning.”