A common myth about terrorist attacks is that they are random incidents that can occur anywhere in the world. While it is true that such attacks can happen globally, they usually exhibit discernible spatiotemporal patterns that could be analysed using criminalistics techniques, methods, and analytic tools. Numerous studies have shown that analysing the spatial and temporal patterns of terrorist attacks can uncover the modus operandi of terrorist organisations and shed light on their strategic objectives. By identifying the operational methods of specific terrorist groups, it becomes theoretically possible to create models that predict the spatiotemporal dispersion of their movements and actions. Such models can potentially indicate sites of future attacks, including bombings, arsons, assassinations, hijackings, abductions, sabotage, kidnappings, and more.The paper aims to examine and provide a concise explanation of why the application of criminalistic techniques is possible in the prediction of distinct aspects of urban terrorism.
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