US representatives caution regrading copycat terrorist assaults
(MENAFN) US law enforcement agencies have raised concerns about the possibility of copycat terrorist attacks following a deadly incident in New Orleans on January 1, according to a joint intelligence bulletin from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security. The attack involved Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old US army veteran from Texas, who drove a rented Ford F-150 truck into a crowd during New Year’s celebrations, killing 14 people and injuring 35 others. Jabbar, who was later killed in a shootout with police, had an ISIS flag attached to his truck and claimed in a pre-attack video that he had joined the group.
The bulletin highlights that ISIS has long encouraged vehicle ramming attacks and has recently amplified its calls for low-tech, high-casualty assaults, particularly amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. Authorities are now focusing on signs of potential attacks, including surveillance activities and the use of fraudulent means to rent vehicles. While Jabbar's attack appears to have been inspired by ISIS, there is currently no evidence of additional suspects involved. Investigations revealed bomb-making materials at a Houston residence linked to Jabbar, but no further suspects have been identified.
The attack echoes similar incidents, such as the 2016 truck ramming in Nice, France, which killed 86 people, and a recent attack in Magdeburg, Germany, where a car drove through a Christmas market, killing five.
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