New Terrorist Laptop Bombs May Evade Airport Security

Terrorist organizations, including ISIS and al-Qaida, may be developing laptops bombs capable of avoiding airport security, CNN reported Friday, after speaking with U.S. intelligence officials and law enforcement agencies.

Intelligence sources maintained that as airport security improved, "terrorists have obtained sophisticated airport security equipment to test how to effectively conceal explosives in laptops and other electronic devices," CNN reported.

The intelligence also "played a significant role in the [President Donald] Trump administration's decision to prohibit travelers flying out of 10 airports in eight countries in the Middle East and Africa from carrying laptops and other large electronic devices aboard planes,"

The terrorist organization leading the way in finding creative ways to conceal bombs was al-Qaida, according to intelligence officials, CNN reported. 

"The group with the greatest level of bomb-making expertise is al-Qaida in Yemen. Its master bomb-maker, Ibrahim al Asiri, has worked for years on designing explosive devices that can be hidden on bodies or in items such as printer cartridges. Since 2014, U.S. officials have been concerned that Asiri's expertise had migrated to other groups."

Intelligence officials were caught off guard following an incident in February 2016 where an operative from al-Shabaab, an al-Qaida affiliate in Somali, was successful in detonating a laptop bomb in Daallo Airlines flight from Mogadishu to Djibouti. The plane was able to make an emergency landing, but officials told CNN they didn't want to take chances that could lead to future incidents.

Airlines began restricting many electronics earlier this month from the cabins of planes flying directly to the U.S. from the eight countries, according to CNN, stating that "passengers on those flights must place electronic devices larger than cellphones in their checked luggage."

Officials were also more confident in security employed by U.S. and European airports due to "advanced technology and training." In addition, officials told CNN that the level of sophistication of terrorist organizations also pointed to the success of current security equipment at airports.

"To some degree, the fact that terrorist groups have been trying to install bombs in electronic devices is a testament to the success of advanced security techniques."

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