New Delhi:

In the early hours of New Year’s Day, an attack in the US city of New Orleans left at least 15 dead and dozens injured. The suspect, identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old US Army veteran, drove a rented pickup truck into a crowd. Jabbar, who died in a shoot-out with police, was a lone-wolf terrorist who had pledged allegiance to the terror group ISIS in online videos posted just hours before the assault, according to the FBI.

There were five videos posted on Jabbar’s Facebook account. In the first video, Jabbar said he originally planned to harm his family and friends but was concerned that the news headline would not focus on “war between the believers and disbelievers.”

This attack marked the deadliest ISIS-inspired assault on US soil since the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, which saw 49 people killed.

Lone-Wolf Tactics

The Islamic State has not officially claimed responsibility for the New Orleans attack. Unlike coordinated terrorist cells, lone wolves like Jabbar operate independently, often inspired by extremist propaganda disseminated online. This modus operandi of lone wolves is a challenge to traditional counterterrorism strategies, which rely heavily on infiltrating networks and intercepting communications.

Lone offenders typically employ “easy-access” methods such as vehicle ramming, edged weapons, or firearms to inflict mass casualties. The Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and the National Counterterrorism Center issued a bulletin on December 6, 2024, warning law enforcement agencies about potential lone-wolf attacks during the holiday season. Despite these warnings, the New Orleans tragedy could not be averted.

Online Extremism

Following its territorial defeat in 2019, ISIS has shifted its focus to the digital realm, establishing what counterterrorism experts describe as a “Digital Caliphate.” This online network uses social media, encrypted messaging apps, and dark web platforms to radicalise individuals, share propaganda, and provide tactical guidance for attacks.

Investigators probing the New Orleans attack found videos Jabbar posted online just hours before the assault, pledging loyalty to ISIS and calling for violence. While his radicalisation process remains under investigation, early findings suggest he may have been influenced by online platforms where extremist content flourishes.

Social media companies have made strides in removing extremist content, but the rapid migration of such materials to encrypted platforms poses a challenge.

Domestic Radicalisation

Jabbar was a US Army veteran with no prior known ties to extremist networks. According to authorities, his radicalisation appeared to occur relatively quickly and was likely driven by personal grievances.

This pattern mirrors other recent cases in which individuals have turned to extremist ideologies as a means of finding purpose or expressing anger. Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K), the Central Asia-based affiliate of ISIS, has been particularly effective in leveraging online platforms to radicalise individuals.

Thomas Matthew Crooks, the man behind an assassination attempt on US President-elect Donald Trump in July last year, acted as a lone wolf. Crooks was not part of any terror group, neither were the police able to establish any connection between him and extremist ideologies.

Experts have warned that the psychological profiles of lone-actor terrorists often reveal a combination of personal instability and ideological alignment with extremist causes.

New York, US:

Hundreds of anti-Israel demonstrators gathered at New York City’s Times Square on New Year’s Day on Wednesday, calling for an “intifada revolution”. Attendees waved Palestinian flags and carried placards that said “Zionism is cancer,” “No war on Iran,” and “End all US aid to Israel.”

Incidentally, the protest happened just hours after a terrorist carried out a deadly car attack in the French Quarter of New Orleans, that killed at least 15 people.

The protest was reportedly organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement, the Party for Socialism and Liberation and the People’s Forum. Demonstrators shouted slogans –“There is only one solution: Intifada revolution,” “Resistance is glorious – we will be victorious,” and “Gaza, you make us proud,” according to a report by the New York Post.

NEW YEARS EVE GAZA PALESTINE PROTEST IN NYC TIMES SQUARE OVERNIGHT.

MORE PLANNED TODAY TO START 2025#HELLO2025 #HAPPYNEWYEAR #CNNNYE pic.twitter.com/QkSEjWRuKd

— Chaos Alerts (@ChaosAlertsOnX) January 1, 2025

In one of the videos of the protest circulating on social media, a female demonstrator wearing a keffiyeh can be heard saying, “We’re sending you back to Europe you white b-ches.”

“Go back to Europe! Go back to Europe,” she shouted at counter-protestors outside the event at the Big Apple.

Anti-Israel protester shouts “H*mas” and “go back to Europe” at pro-Israel counter protesters in Times Square pic.twitter.com/N3JiyzRGcm

— Luke Tress (@luketress) January 1, 2025

Another speaker shouted through a megaphone, “2024 was a year of struggle against the crime of Zionism.”

The came hours after US Army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar, flying an ISIS flag from his truck, swerved around makeshift barriers and plowed into New Orleans’ crowded French Quarter on New Year’s Day. Police officials said 42-year-old Jabbar may have had the help of others to carry out the attack in which 15 people were killed.

The attack injured about 30 other people, including two police officers wounded by gunfire from Jabbar, who was later shot dead by cops. The attack took place around 3:15 am near the intersection of Canal and Bourbon Streets, a historic tourist destination known for its music and bars where crowds were celebrating the New Year. Three improvised pipe bombs were found nearby in the tourist-drawing French Quarter, including one in Jabbar’s truck.

US President Joe Biden condemned what he called a “despicable” act and said investigators were looking into whether there might be a link to a Tesla truck fire outside a Trump hotel in Las Vegas. So far, there was no evidence linking the two events, Biden said.

“The FBI also reported to me that mere hours before the attack, he posted videos on social media indicating that he’s inspired by ISIS, expressing the desire to kill,” Biden said of the New Orleans suspect.

New Orleans:

Senior US law enforcement officials on Wednesday (local time) identified the main suspect in the New Orleans car-ramming incident as 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar and confirmed that he was carrying an ISIS flag while carrying out the ‘act of terrorism.’

Police also discovered multiple suspected explosive devices in the car used in the attack on Bourbon Street, CNN reported. Jabbar was shot and killed by officers at the scene, as confirmed by New Orleans police.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) identified Shamsud Din Jabbar as a US citizen from Texas. Officials also stated that he had previously served in the US Military, according to CNN.

The FBI, which is leading the investigation, has classified the incident as “an act of terrorism.”

In a statement on X, the FBI wrote,”This morning, an individual drove a car into a crowd of people on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing a number of people and injuring dozens of others. The subject then engaged with local law enforcement and is now deceased. The FBI is the lead investigative agency, and we are working with our partners to investigate this as an act of terrorism.”

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden, in a statement released by the White House, has condemned the attack saying, “There is no justification for violence of any kind, and we will not tolerate any attack on any of our nation’s communities.”

President Biden said that he is being continually briefed since early morning by the American federal law enforcement leadership and the homeland security team, which includes the Secretary of Homeland Security Ali Mayorkas, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, White House Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall, and the Mayor of New Orleans regarding the horrific incident that occurred.

He added, “I will continue to receive updates throughout the day, and I will have more to say as we have further information to share. In the meantime, my heart goes out to the victims and their families who were simply trying to celebrate the holiday.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)