A Malaysian woman fell victim to a “honey trap” and kidnapped for ransom by a man whom she met on a dating app. According to the chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), the woman flew from Malaysia to meet a man named Jerry. She arrived in Manila on September 12 where she was met at the airport by a Chinese man who took her to the city of Carmona in Cavite province where she was held against her will and forced to send ransom messages to her family asking for 26,000 Malaysian Ringgit (P300,000.00 about US$5700 ) in exchange for her release. Unknown to the suspects, the victim discreetly sent descriptions of her captors and the vehicle used by the suspects when she was picked at the airport. Based on this information, operatives of the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group and Aviation Security Group launched a rescue operation on September 13 and raided a house in Carmona. The victim was freed, and two suspects one local and one Malaysian were arrested. (mb.com.ph, 14 September 2022)

A suicide bomber blew himself up outside the Guzargah Mosque in the city of Herat, the capital of Heart province killed at least 28 people, including the mosque Imam who is pro-Taliban cleric, and wounded 45 others. Herat's police spokesman said that the pro-Taliban cleric, Mawlawi Mujeeb Rahman Ansari, was among the dead along with his brother and some of his guards and civilians as they approached the mosque for Friday prayers. The cleric had often spoken strongly in defense of the Taliban at a large gathering of thousands of scholars and elders organized by the group in late June, condemning anyone who stood against their administration. Though no group claimed responsibility for the attack, the Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS-K) targeted busy mosques during prayers.

An Israeli national was kidnapped for ransom in São Paulo, Brazil and was released hours later. The 30-year-old man was lured to a date with a woman during the evening hours. He traveled to the address using Uber app service when a local criminal gang kidnapped him along with the Uber driver. The driver was abandoned by the kidnappers shortly after at a remote location. The driver managed to notify the police who began trying to locate the hostage. The kidnappers used the victim’s banking cards to withdraw money from his bank and later contacted his family who lives in Brazil and demanded an undisclosed ransom amount in exchange for his release. The police tracked the phones used to contact the family which led them to three members of the gang who were then arrested. There are conflicting reports as to the man gained his release. Some reports stated that he was freed after a ransom payment, while other state that he was rescued by the police from the location where he was being held. In July, an Israeli businessman was kidnapped in Brazil and released after the Brazilian police geolocated the gang. (ynetnews.com, 24 August 2002 & jpost.com, 24 August 2022 & soudecanoas.com.br, 24 August 2022)

A medical doctor who owns a ranch Barú district of Chiriquí province was released by his kidnappers on August 22 following the delivery of an undisclosed ransom amount. The unidentified doctor was intercepted and kidnapped in the Paso Canoas border sector between Panama and Costa Rica where his vehicle was later found abandoned on the road to Canoas Arriba, near a shopping center. Following his release, the doctor arrived walking to the Paso Canoas Judicial Investigation Directorate (DIJ) in the province and reported his kidnapping. On August 23 a suspect who allegedly participated in the doctor’s kidnapping was arrested during an operation carried out by several law enforcement agencies in the village of Paso Canoas. According to the National Police, the kidnapping took place at the time the victim was negotiating a purchase of a property. The kidnappers later demanded a ransom amount of US$200,000 from family members in exchange for his release. During the raid officers seized cell phones, passport, cash of different denominations, documents and a vehicle. (critica.com.pa, 23 August 2022 & ensegundos.com.pa, 23 August 2022)

At least 21 worshipers, and a well-known Imam, were killed and at least 33 others were wounded in an explosion during evening prayers in a mosque in Khair Khana area of Kabul. It is unclear if the blast was caused by a suicide bomber or an IED hidden in the mosque. The powerful explosion took place at around 9 p.m. and shattered windows in nearby buildings. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast, but the Islamic State Khorasan Province (IS-K) was behind recent attacks in the country in attempt to the destabilize Taliban rule.