ISIS attack in New Zealand leaves six people stabbed and the attacker shot dead.

 

A police officer stands near the site of the attack. BBC/Getty.

An ISIS sympathizer stabbed six people in New Zealand before being shot dead in New Zealand. BBC. The attacker was a Sri Lankan national who was under surveillance for his support of ISIS. The police shot and killed him very quickly because they were actively surveilling him. They thought that he was simply doing his shopping before he pulled out his knife. Three of the wounded were in critical condition and one more was in serious condition. The attack occurred at a supermarket in Auckland. The man was 32 years old and had a history of extremism since he arrived in New Zealand in 2016. He had actually been charged with planning a terror attack but was released as that is not a criminal act in New Zealand. 

My Comment:

Ugh, yet another terror attack that should have never happened. The man was under active surveillance and everyone knew he was a terrorist. He had even been arrested but inexplicably merely planning a terror attack in New Zealand is not a crime. That boggles my mind. 

It does seem like the police were able to stop this attack before too many people got hurt. From the article it seems like this attack only lasted a minute. But in that minute six people got stabbed and three of them are in critical condition. It just goes to show that if police are a minute away it still might not be enough to save you, which is why you should own a gun. 

I honestly don't know why this person was still in New Zealand. Maybe planning a terror attack isn't a crime in New Zealand but certainly it is grounds for deportation? Was this man a citizen now and couldn't be deported? Or was it just political correctness gone mad. New Zealand has a huge problem with that given the overreaction to the Mosque attacks back in 2019. My guess is that they refused to deport this man despite him being an obvious threat. 

This seems like a classic example of a lone wolf attack. The attacker doesn't seem to have any direct links to ISIS or other terror groups but he read their material and swore to their cause. These kinds of people are the bigger threat now that ISIS is largely destroyed. Even though there aren't anywhere near the number of active cells and logistical support for ISIS fighters, the threat remains because of these  lone wolf attackers. 

I do worry that we will see another major wave of terror attacks. Though both ISIS and al-Qaeda are shadows of their former selves, the fall of Afghanistan has been a major morale boost for the various terror groups. The Taliban have shown that the United States can be embarrassed and are weak right now. I would not be surprised if another attack happens either here in the United States or elsewhere. 

I am especially concerned about the 20 year anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks. That terror attack was the start of the war on terror and it would be a major symbolic victory if they could launch another terror attack. The capability might not be there but if there are any lone wolves out there this would be the time they will attack...