A car-ramming attack devastated New Year’s celebrations Wednesday evening in New Orleans, causing the death of fifteen people and injuring around thirty others, according to local authorities. The vehicle, a rented SUV, drove into a crowd gathered in the famous French Square district, creating indescribable chaos.
The FBI is treating the incident as a terrorist attack after an “Islamic State” flag was found inside the vehicle. The suspect, Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, a 42-year-old former Texan soldier, was shot dead by law enforcement during an exchange of fire shortly after the incident. Weapons and an improvised explosive device were also found in the vehicle.
In an official statement, US President Joe Biden strongly condemned the attack, stressing that the attacker was “inspired” by the Daesh terrorist group. Investigations are underway to determine if other people were involved and to verify the activation of other explosive devices found in the area.
Local media report that the suspect had served nearly eight years in the US military, including a deployment to Afghanistan. Authorities are calling for vigilance as a thorough investigation continues to understand the exact circumstances of this tragedy.
M.Ba.
Morocco
