Changes in terrorist tactics and measures to counteract them

Recently, specialists and non-specialists have noticed a change in the pattern of activity by terrorists around the world. If previously they used explosive devices, suicide vests, bombings of public transit systems and other socially significant objects, now leaders of terrorist groups urge their supporters to inflict as much damage as possible on the country in which single terrorists reside.

The president of the International Association of Veterans of the Alpha Anti-Terrorism Unit, Sergey Goncharov, explained that "they need a lot of people to make an explosive device, carry it to the spot, so the risk of being noticed by special services increases." At the moment, European special services are not able to prevent terrorist attacks using vehicles. Two days before the last terrorist attack in Paris, the French Interior Minister said: "Dear citizens, 271 French jihadists have returned to the country after fighting for ISIS out of estimated 700 French nationals, which left the country". They should've put potential terrorists under control or even arrest, not just make statements," Goncharov said. According to him, the work of European special services is also complicated by a large number of migrants. In addition, the president of the Alpha International Association of Veterans suggested that ISIS militants (banned in Russia) will move to Afghanistan soon, which has became a very vulnerable country; so it will become a big problem for Russia.

In this regard, you need to know how to behave in a terror attack. A member of the board of the International Association of Veterans of the Alpha Anti-Terrorism Unit, Vitaly Demidkin, gave practical recommendations in this area:

1. No one should resist, get up, run, wave their hands, because terrorists may think you are resisting and open fire. On the other hand, special Servicemen may took you for a terrorist who is going to blow himself up, and open fire as well. 

2. Do not stand out from the crowd.

3. Do what the terrorists ask, but do not panic and try to remember the number of terrorists, their weapons, so that you could give the necessary information to special operations forces, if you are released earlier than other hostages.

4. Assist the wounded and those who need psychological support. The first aid can be provided even by bandaging a wound with a sleeve of a jacket or a shirt.

5. If you're caught in a shooting, hide under chairs, any safe places, helping people near you to also get there.

Vitaly Demidkin shared his personal experience as the fighter of the Alpha special group of the KGB Directorate 7 for the Prevention of aircraft hijacking in 1983 in Tbilisi and in Baku in 1989, as well as during the release of the school in Beslan in 2004 (video).