Home Tags Posts tagged with "passenger train"

passenger train

Canadian authorities have arrested and charged two people with conspiring to carry out an “al-Qaeda inspired” attack on a passenger train in Toronto.

At a news conference, the authorities said the suspects Chiheb Esseghaier, 30, and Raed Jaser, 35, were arrested in Montreal and Toronto on Monday.

They allegedly planned to derail a VIA passenger train in the greater Toronto area. It was not clear when.

The suspects will now appear in court on Tuesday for a bail hearing.

Canadian authorities have arrested and charged two people with conspiring to carry out an "al-Qaeda inspired" attack on a passenger train in Toronto

Canadian authorities have arrested and charged two people with conspiring to carry out an “al-Qaeda inspired” attack on a passenger train in Toronto

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said the surveillance operation leading to the arrests of the two suspects was “a result of extensive collaborative efforts”.

They said the two men were not Canadian citizens and were supported by “al-Qaeda elements in Iran” but there was no evidence of state sponsorship.

Their plan was to derail a train and “kill and hurt people”.

Chief Spt. Jennifer Strachan said the two men had sought to target “a specific route, but not necessarily a specific train”.

VIA operates passenger rail services across Canada.

At the same time, the RCMP said they believed the plot was in the planning stage and “there was no imminent threat to the general public”.

“Each and every terrorist arrest the RCMP makes sends a message and illustrates our strong resolve to root out terrorist threats and keep Canadians and our allies safe,” Assistant Commissioner James Malizia said.

The RCMP also said that FBI agents from the US were involved in the operation to foil the attack.

There was no connection between the plot and last week’s Boston Marathon bombings, a US justice department official was quoted as saying by the Associated Press news agency.

[youtube NoT2XHZRgqk]

Five elephants have been killed after being hit by a passenger train in the eastern Indian state of Orissa.

The animals were hit when their herd was crossing railway tracks in the Rambha forest area, a railway spokesman, RN Mohapatra, said.

The state’s wildlife department said its warning asking trains to slow down because elephants were moving in the area was ignored.

Nearly 300 elephants have been killed in Orissa in the past five years.

Five elephants have been killed after being hit by a passenger train in the eastern Indian state of Orissa

Five elephants have been killed after being hit by a passenger train in the eastern Indian state of Orissa

Most of the deaths have been blamed on accidental electrocutions, poaching, poisoning by farmers to prevent them from damaging crops and being run over by trains.

The state government recently set up a committee to monitor elephant deaths.

While elephants are worshipped by many in India, shrinking habitat has led to increased conflict with people and the deaths of many of the protected animals.

There are around 26,000 wild elephants in India, where it is a heritage animal.

[youtube d-TcO0GARF8]