political evacuation
Pakistan
On 9 and 10 May, dozens of international cricket players and broadcast crew evacuated Pakistan amid escalating tensions with India during a major-league cricket tournament. The evacuations occurred during a four-day conflict in which India and Pakistan launched armed drone strikes deep into each other’s territory, following a mass-casualty separatist attack in Jammu and Kashmir. In one incident, four Australian players boarded a civilian charter flight from Nur Khan Air Base in Rawalpindi to Dubai just hours before India conducted aerial strikes on the base. All international players were safely evacuated to their home countries. Although organisers initially relocated the tournament to the UAE, it was later cancelled. A ceasefire was agreed on 10 May and remains in place, but deepening bilateral tensions sustain the threat of renewed clashes and further evacuations of foreign nationals.
active assailant
South Korea
South Korea has experienced two indiscriminate stabbing attacks since the beginning of 2025. On 28 April, an 18-year-old student stabbed and injured seven people at a school in Cheongju, Chungcheong Province. On 19 May, an assailant carried out a stabbing spree in Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, killing two people and injuring two others. The attacker stabbed one person in a convenience store and another at a sports park 2 km away; both victims were hospitalised. Two additional bodies were later discovered in separate private residences, one of which appeared to have been deceased for several days. While mass stabbings are rare in South Korea, such incidents have prompted renewed calls for police reforms to strengthen public safety.
kidnapping
Iran
On 1 May, three Indian nationals went missing during a flight stopover in Tehran while en route to Australia for alleged job opportunities. According to their families, they were kidnapped by unidentified assailants who demanded over USD 20,000 in ransom for each victim. The abductions were linked to a job scam, in which the victims had been deceived by a fraudulent travel agency promising high-paying jobs in Australia. On 5 June, Iranian police rescued the three in Varamin, Tehran Province, and handed them over to the Indian embassy to facilitate their return. In response, the Indian government issued travel advisories warning against visits to Iran and urged caution when dealing with unverified travel agents and intermediaries.
kidnapping
Mexico
On 29 May, police arrested nine suspects in the kidnapping and murder of five local musicians in Reynosa, Tamaulipas State. The musicians were kidnapped on 25 May after being hired to perform at a fake concert. Their families reportedly received ransom demands for their release, although no further details regarding the ransom amount or payment have been provided. The nine suspects are all members of a faction of the Gulf Cartel organised crime group. The group maintains an active presence in the area and frequently carries out kidnappings to generate revenue.
organised crime and kidnapping
Haiti
On 31 March, the Viv Ansanm coalition, a gang alliance, conducted a coordinated offensive in the Mirebalais and Saut-d’Eau areas in the Centre Department to consolidate control of the border area with the Dominican Republic. The offensive included attacks on civilians and government infrastructure. As part of broader efforts to expand their territorial influence and generate revenue, gangs have also carried out hundreds of kidnappings for ransom, with approximately 316 cases recorded in the first five months of the year. These incidents mark a further escalation in organised gang activity and underscore the growing normalisation of kidnappings and coordinated attacks in areas where gangs maintain a strong presence.
Active Assailant
Austria
On 10 June, a 21-year-old gunman killed 10 people and injured at least 11 others when he opened fire at a high school in Graz, Styria Province. The assailant, a former student of the school, later shot and killed himself when approached by police. The motive remains unknown, though police described him as introverted and obsessed with online first-person shooter games. At his home, authorities found a non-functioning pipe bomb, a farewell message, and abandoned plans for a bomb attack. He used two legally owned firearms during the attack. The incident is the deadliest school shooting in Austria’s history, and authorities have since pledged to tighten the country’s gun laws.
Active Assailant
United Kingdom
On 26 May, a 53-year-old assailant injured at least 45 people when he drove his vehicle into a crowd of football supporters in central Liverpool who had gathered for a celebration parade. Hundreds of thousands were in attendance when the assailant drove through the crowd on Walter Street, around 10 minutes after the team bus had passed through the area. Police arrested the driver at the scene. The motive remains unknown, though police are not treating the incident as terror-related. Vehicle-ramming attacks by lone actors remain a significant safety concern at large events in European cities due to their unpredictability and the minimal planning, skills, or resources required to carry them out.
Kidnapping
Niger
In April, unidentified assailants kidnapped Swiss and Indian nationals in the Agadez and Tillabéri regions. On 30 April, five Indian nationals working near Sakoira, Tillabéri Region, were abducted, and the perpetrators killed at least 10 Nigerien soldiers during the incident. Earlier, on 14 April, a Swiss national was kidnapped near Agadez, Agadez Region. In both cases, it remains unclear who was responsible or whether any ransom demands have been made. However, Islamist militant groups maintain a presence in both regions, with Islamic State Sahel Province (ISSP) previously linked to a series of foreign national kidnappings in the Sahel in 2025.
