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‘An Act of Terrorism’: New Orleans Attack Suspect Acted Alone, Supported Islamic State, FBI Says
A member of the National Guard Military Police stands, in the area where people were killed by a man driving a truck in an attack during New Year’s celebrations, in New Orleans, Louisiana, US, Jan. 2, 2025. PHoto: REUTERS/Octavio Jones
A US Army veteran who drove a truck into a crowd of New Year’s Day revelers had pledged allegiance to Islamic State (ISIS), but acted alone in the attack that killed at least 14 people, the FBI said on Thursday.
The suspect, who was shot dead at the scene after firing at police, has been identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old Texan who once served in Afghanistan. He drove from Houston to New Orleans on Dec. 31, and posted five videos on Facebook between 1.29 am and 3.02 am on the morning of the attack in which he said he supported ISIS, the Islamic terrorist group with fighters in Iraq and Syria, the FBI said.
In the first video, Jabbar explains he had previously planned to harm his family and friends, but was concerned that the media coverage would not focus on the “war between the believers and the disbelievers,” FBI Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia said at a press conference.
Jabbar also said in the videos that he had joined ISIS before last summer and provided his last will and testament, Raia said.
“This was an act of terrorism,” Raia said. “It was premeditated and an evil act.”
Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a suspect in the New Orleans attack, is seen in this picture obtained from social media, released in November 2013, in Fort Johnson (formerly Fort Polk), Louisiana, US, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division via Facebook via REUTERS
New Orleans officials said the Sugar Bowl college football game that had been scheduled for Wednesday in a New Year’s Day tradition would take place on Thursday afternoon. The city will also host the National Football League’s Super Bowl next month.
The FBI said there appeared to be no link between the attack in New Orleans and the episode in Las Vegas on the same day in which a Tesla Cybertruck packed with gasoline canisters and large firework mortars exploded in flames outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas, just weeks before President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House on Jan. 20.
The injured victims in the New Orleans attack included two police officers wounded by gunfire from the suspect, taking place a mere three hours into the new year on Bourbon Street in the historic French Quarter. At least 15 people were killed, including the suspect, the FBI said.
Among the victims were the mother of a 4-year-old who had just moved into a new apartment after getting a promotion at work, a New York financial employee and accomplished student-athlete who was visiting home for the holidays, and an 18-year-old aspiring nurse from Mississippi.
Witnesses described a horrifying scene.
“There were people everywhere,” Kimberly Strickland of Mobile, Alabama, said in an interview. “You just heard this squeal and the rev of the engine and this huge loud impact and then the people screaming and debris — just metal — the sound of crunching metal and bodies.”
Meanwhile, authorities in other US cities said they had boosted security, including at Trump Tower and Times Square in New York City, adding that there were no immediate threats.
In Washington, police also said they had increased their presence as the capital prepares to host three major events this month: Congress’ Jan. 6 certification of US President-elect Donald Trump’s presidential election win, the Jan. 9 state funeral for former President Jimmy Carter, and Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration.
ISLAMIC STATE FLAG
The FBI said an ISIS flag was found on the trailer hitch of the rented vehicle involved in the New Orleans attack.
US President Joe Biden condemned what he called a “despicable” act.
Public records showed Jabbar worked in real estate in Houston. In a promotional video posted four years ago, Jabbar described himself as born and raised in Beaumont, a city about 80 miles (130 km) east of Houston.
Jabbar was in the regular Army from March 2007 until January 2015 and then in the Army Reserve from January 2015 until July 2020, an Army spokesperson said. He deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 to January 2010 and held the rank of staff sergeant at the end of service.
ISIS is a Muslim terrorist group that once imposed a reign of terror over millions of people in Iraq and Syria until it collapsed following a sustained military campaign by a US-led coalition.
Even as it has been weakened in the field, ISIS has continued to recruit sympathizers online, experts say.
The post ‘An Act of Terrorism’: New Orleans Attack Suspect Acted Alone, Supported Islamic State, FBI Says first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Netanyahu Says Israel to Begin Gaza Ceasefire Negotiations to End War, Release Hostages
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the US Independence Day reception, known as the annual “Fourth of July” celebration, hosted by Newsmax, in Jerusalem, Aug. 13, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun/Pool
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Thursday that he had directed the immediate initiation of negotiations for the release of all hostages in Gaza and the conclusion of the war there on terms acceptable to Israel.
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Turkish Ports Raise New Barriers to Israel-Linked Ships, Sources Say
Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (not seen) at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, May 13, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Umit Bektas
Turkish port authorities have begun informally requiring shipping agents to provide letters declaring that vessels are not linked to Israel and not carrying military or hazardous cargo bound for the country, according to two shipping sources.
The move is another step Turkey has taken against Israel after it last year severed trade with the country, worth $7 billion annually, over its war in Gaza with Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
The sources said the harbor master’s office had verbally instructed port agents to provide written assurances, adding that there was no official circular on the issue.
One of the sources said the instruction applied to ports across Turkey.
The second source said vessels arriving directly from Israel or departing to Israeli ports would no longer be permitted to dock at Turkish ports, according to information provided by the port authority of the northwestern province of Kocaeli.
Turkish-flagged ships will also be prohibited from calling at Israeli ports, according to the source.
The transport ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The move could further complicate shipments to Israel in the Eastern Mediterranean. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis have targeted ships in the Red Sea since 2023 in what they call an act of solidarity with Palestinians.
NATO member Turkey has fiercely criticized Israel over its attacks on Gaza and called it a genocide against the Palestinians, a charge Israel denies.
The new guarantee letters should state that vessel owners, managers, and operators have no ties to Israel, and that certain types of cargo, including explosives and radioactive materials or military equipment, are not on board en route to Israel, the second source said.
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Lebanon Says It Is Beginning Disarmament of Palestinian Factions in Refugee Camps
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun meets with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas at the presidential palace in Baabda, Lebanon, May 21, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
Lebanon said on Thursday it was launching the planned disarmament of Palestinian factions in refugee camps, part of a wider effort to establish a state monopoly on arms.
The planned disarmament was starting with the handover of weapons on Thursday from the Burj al-Barajneh camp in Beirut to the Lebanese army, the Lebanese prime minister’s office said.
The move is meant to mark the start of a broader disarmament effort, with additional deliveries expected in the coming weeks from Burj al-Barajneh and other camps across the country, the office said in a statement.
An official from Fatah told Reuters that the only weapons being handed over so far were illegal arms that entered the camp 24 hours ago. TV footage showed army vehicles entering the camp ahead of a handover. Reuters could not independently verify what arms were being handed over.
As part of a truce with Israel struck in November and backed by the United States, Lebanon committed to restricting arms to six specific state security forces, in a challenge to Iran-backed Shi’ite Muslim terror group Hezbollah.
The cabinet has tasked the army with drawing up a plan to establish a state monopoly on arms by the end of the year.
The initiative to disarm Palestinian factions is part of an agreement reached during a May 21 summit between Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, which affirmed Lebanon‘s sovereignty and the principle that only the state should bear arms, the statement from the prime minister’s office said.
Two days later, Lebanese and Palestinian officials agreed on a timeline and mechanism for disarmament, the statement said.
Palestinian factions have long operated with relative autonomy in several of Lebanon‘s 12 refugee camps, which fall largely outside the jurisdiction of the Lebanese state. The latest handover represents the most serious bid in years to address weapons held inside the camps.