US under terror-radar again? Vehicle attack in Manhattan kills 8
16 years since 9/11, terrorism has once again struck the US mainland. At least 8 people were reportedly killed and 11 injured in an unexpected deadly act of terror after a pickup truck drove down a crowded bike path along the Hudson river in Manhattan. While gathered evidence points to an ISIS-hand in the attack, federal agencies are still investigating it. Here's more.
Where did the attacks happen?
The attacker drove southward on a bike path alongside the West Side Highway at Houston street just around 3 pm. He rammed into crowds within a one mile distance. He ended the rampage five blocks north of the World Trade Center.
What transpired?
The attacks occurred at the time when schools along the stretch were being let off for the day. According to eyewitness-accounts, the commuters heard "gun" and "shooter" and ran to take cover. The attacker ended his death-ride after ramming into a school-bus, after which he got out waving a pellet gun and a paintball gun and shouted "Allahu Akbar" before the police shot him.
Who is the attacker?
The police have identified the attacker to be 29-year old Sayfullo Saipov. Saipov reportedly came to the US in 2010 from Uzbekistan and held a green card. Arabic handwritten notes discovered from near the truck indicate that he may have allegiances to ISIS.
Manhattan attacks: Trump vents on Twitter
In an immediate response to the incident Trump tweeted that the law enforcement was not following threats closely. "NOT IN THE USA!" he added. In a second tweet, he said that "ISIS shouldn't be allowed to enter the US after being defeated in the Middle East and elsewhere." He expressed condolences to the victims and their families in the third tweet on the incident.
This is what he tweeted
Should we be scared of vehicles or ISIS?
Despite its seemingly weakening position and loss of territory in the Middle East, ISIS seems to be still going strong. Numerous ISIS-inspired vehicle attacks over the past few months in Europe and the US only prove the above. What can be scary is the idea that these killer-vehicles can come out of anywhere/anytime. Correctly apprehending these is almost next to impossible for security agencies.
