ISIS takes credit for terror attack that killed four tourists, including two Americans, in Tajikistan

The M41 road in Tajikistan. ABC News/Getty. 

ISIS has taken credit for a ramming and stabbing attack that killed four tourists in Tajikistan. ABC News. A group of seven tourists were riding bicycles when a car filled with five attackers rammed them. The attackers then exited their vehicle and stabbed and shot the tourists. ISIS took credit for the attack but local authorities have not ruled out robbery as a possible motive. Two Americans were killed in the attack with a Swiss and Dutch national also killed. Two more tourists were wounded. Four suspects have been arrested by the Tajik government. 

My Comment:

This seems like an obvious terror attack to me. Though it is possible that it wasn't the scenario doesn't make sense as a robbery or run of the mill murder. Random psychos usually don't work in teams and robberies don't do more damage to their car than they would have gotten in their theft. If there was a different motive than these attackers were idiots. Terrorism is the only thing that makes sense. 

Car ramming is a classic sign of ISIS as well. Terrorists have used the tactic to great effect since the Nice attack in France. Other terror groups have adapted the tactic but usually a car ramming attack means Islamic terrorism. It would be very surprising if this was not an attack by ISIS. 

I have to be honest that I don't know too much about Tajikistan. I do know that they have a local ISIS affiliate but I wasn't aware that it was a place that had a lot of tourism. From what I understand they have had a difficult time since the fall of communism and have been trying to promote tourism. This attack will probably not help that effort to say the least. Europe took a big hit in terms of tourism after the series of attacks and right now people looking at vacations in Tajikistan will find coverage of this attack. 

What is really strange about this attack is how it was carried out. Was this just an attack of opportunity or was it planned? If it was just a random attack of opportunity than that is an example of just poor luck all around. How rotten can your luck be if your bike ride just happens to be noticed by a car full of terrorists and they spontaneously decide to attack? Such a random attack is certainly possible. 

But what if it wasn't? Were these tourists specifically targeted? Did the ISIS operatives follow these people on social media or something? How did they know they were foreigners and how did they know they would be on that road on their bikes? The answers to those questions are quite disturbing and makes me think that tourists should be more careful about their social media use while in countries where ISIS is active. Broadcasting your plans and location to the world isn't always a good idea. 

As for ISIS they have really been beaten back. I remember just a year ago these kinds of attacks were so common I could barely keep up with them. Now an attack in a relatively obscure country that only manged to kill four people is the biggest success they have had against western targets in a very long time. During the bad old days of a couple of years ago this attack might not have even rated coverage. 

It just goes to show how critical Syria and Iraq were to ISIS. Without that huge area under their control they can no longer plan major attacks, pay for them with their tax base and stolen loot or produce their highly effective propaganda. Even though this attack was serious it is a clear sign of how far ISIS has fallen.