The FBI issued a warning on Monday that” copycat or hostile attacks” may result from the dangerous New Year’s Day car attack in New Orleans. The notice follows the New Orleans harm, in which Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a US Army veteran and ISIS sympathiser, ploughed a vehicle into masses on Bourbon Street, killing 14 people and injuring dozens more.
The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security ( DHS) are particularly concerned about the rise in violent extremists using vehicle ramming as a tactic, noting that attackers are frequently inspired by foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs ) and may attempt to replicate such actions.
The government issued the people service statement, adding the growing threat from “aspiring aggressive extremist intruders” who have increasingly used cars as arms. These attacks have been carried out with rented, stolen, or personally owned vehicles, which are easy to acquire, and may be accompanied by firearms, knives, or even improvised explosive devices ( IEDs ).
Goals have generally included walkers, law enforcement officers, and crowded public locations, which are easily available from motorways. The FBI urged the government to stay alert for potential ripoff or hostile attacks and report any suspicious activity to rules protection.
Also read: Bodycam footage shows New Orleans attacker firing at police before officers shot him dead
In the early days of January 1, Jabbar attacked several people in New Orleans while he was attempting to break out of a policeman siege at Bourbon Street’s access. Jabbar was fatally shot at the scene after engaging in gunfire with the authorities. Officials discovered that he had planted two IEDs, one of which was moved by an innocent stranger, before it could explode, and that his car had bomb-making elements in it.
The FBI found out that Jabbar had pledged allegiance to ISIS immediately before the invasion by posting videos online showing him declaring his intention to fight “non-believers.”
Jabbar used Meta clever glasses to capture video of the French Quarter and identify important targets during extensive surveillance in New Orleans in the months leading up to the attack. The FBI claims that he was behind the attack for a number of times, yet purchasing bomb-making supplies in Texas before traveling to Louisiana.
