A generationn Auckland, New Zealand, sympathizers of the terrorist militia “Islamic State” (IS) wounded six people with knives in a supermarket, three of whom were seriously injured. According to the police, the perpetrator was shot dead by emergency services within 60 seconds.Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern It was stated at the press conference that “violent extremists” are well-known sympathizers of the Islamic terrorist militia, which has been continuously monitored by the police. When he attacked bystanders with a knife in a supermarket on the outskirts of New Lynn, the police followed him. “This is a violent attack on innocent New Zealanders,” Ardern said. “What happened today is despicable, hateful and wrong.”
It is understood that this is a lonely perpetrator. Therefore, there is no further danger from possibly more terrorists. The attacker is from Sri Lanka, has lived in New Zealand since 2011, and has been known to the police since 2016. The prime minister said that due to a court order, more details about the man have not been released.
She assured the people that the government has used all “laws and surveillance powers” to protect people from attackers. She warned against holding the entire population group responsible for crime. “They are implemented by individuals, not by faith, culture or race, but by individuals,” Ardern said. The perpetrators are under the control of an ideology that is not supported by anyone in New Zealand.
There was only one knife attack in May
A video shared on social media first showed the cash register of the supermarket. Customers warned each other, “Someone is holding a knife.” The men ran around excitedly. Suspected drops of blood can be seen on the floor. The woman was obviously recording a video on her mobile phone, and she told the microphone that someone had been stabbed. A corpse was lying on the floor in front of one of the cash registers. Then there were a few loud gunshots before the woman took off. Just in May of this year, a knife attack occurred at a Countdown supermarket in Dunedin, and many people were injured. At the time, this was attributed to a clearly insane person. The police did not see the terrorist background. The management of the chain was “destroyed” by repeated incidents.
Witnesses told New Zealand media that customers panicked during the attack. People fled the shopping mall where the supermarket is located. A witness reported to Radio New Zealand that you saw men with knives running around. “Then he was horrified. I don’t know if I took drugs. I support the police and what they are doing here today,” Michelle Miller said. Resident Aanya Diveka said that after hearing the gunshots, she hid in a pharmacy with other customers. The young woman was only vaccinated there. Then she and the others escaped through the back door.
Tat brings back memories of the Christchurch attack
In the country, the attack evokes memories of serious incidents Terrorist attacks In March 2019, an Australian racist shot at two mosques in Christchurch, resulting in 51 deaths and 50 injuries. At that time, Ardern was praised by many people for his understanding and firm response. After the attack in Auckland, she assured that the Muslim community in New Zealand was ready to help and support the authorities. It is wrong to hold anyone other than the perpetrator responsible for the attack. According to police chief Andrew Coster, the perpetrators were observed because of their extremist ideology. He currently sees no reason to criticize the police. Coster said: “Even if you watch someone around the clock, you can’t actually be by their side all the time.”
