Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the terrorist attack in New Orleans, USA, which killed at least 15 people on New Year’s Day. On Wednesday, a former US Army veteran drove a pickup truck into a crowd celebrating the New Year in the city, causing widespread carnage. In response, Prime Minister Modi expressed his condolences and extended his prayers to the victims and their families through a post on social media.
“We strongly condemn the cowardly terrorist attack in New Orleans. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. May they find strength and solace as they heal from this tragedy,” wrote PM Modi.
We strongly condemn the cowardly terrorist attack in New Orleans. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. May they find strength and solace as they heal from this tragedy.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 2, 2025
Incident Details
The assault occurred early yesterday morning when the driver managed to circumvent the police blockade to crash into the crowd of festival-goers. The police responded by shooting and killing the driver. The FBI has designated the event a terrorist act and is probing the possibility of the individual acting alone. Authorities have found weapons and what appeared to be an improvised explosive device inside the vehicle. Other explosive devices were also located throughout the French Quarter in the city, and the vehicle featured the flag of the Islamic State group.
President Joe Biden also spoke regarding the tragedy and called it “despicable,” a “heinous act” and went ahead to mention further findings of disturbing social media posts made by the attacker, made by the FBI.
The attack transformed the usually lively Bourbon Street into a scene of chaos, with injured victims and bloodied bodies on the streets. The tragedy also disrupted nearby events, including a college football playoff game at the Superdome, which had to be postponed.
Attacker Details
The FBI confirmed the identity of the attacker to be Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old former US Army member from Texas. Still, the question of whether the man had some kind of terrorist connections remains unresolved. According to Alethea Duncan, assistant special agent with the FBI, the attacker “may not have operated alone.”.
Along with the pickup truck, the police found a few improvised explosives in which two were inside coolers wired to explode via remote detonation. Video surveillance also supposedly captures several placing one of the devices; however, these details are not confirmed by federal officials.
The attack happened when Jabbar steered the rented vehicle onto a sidewalk, bypassing a police car set up to block traffic. A barrier system meant to prevent such attacks was under repair in advance of this year’s Super Bowl in February.
This tragic event in New Orleans has rocked the local community and drawn upon international condemnation. The investigation continues as authorities endeavor to uncover the full scope of the attack.
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