Melbourne stabbing attacker 'inspired' by Islamic State: Australia

November 11, 2018 17:42

A Somali-origin man, who set a car on fire and stabbed three people, killing one of them, before being fatally shot in the Australian city of Melbourne, did not have a "definite link" to the dreaded Islamic State but was "inspired" by it, the government said on Sunday.

Hassan Khalif Shire Ali stabbed three members of the public and attacked police officers in the Bourke Street on Friday before he was shot and killed by the police.

The 30-year-old, who was driving a Ute, loaded with gas bottles, into the Bourke Street, allegedly set it alight and began stabbing members of the public.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said authorities did not believe Ali, who had his passport cancelled in 2015, was a member of the Islamic State and had not been known to be ready to act.

"There was no evidence available to the police... that any attack was imminent or that he had been part of planning," Dutton told reporters.

"The judgment that was made (by authorities) was that he was not in the planning stage of an attack," he added.

"In relation to his connections with ISIL (another name for IS) or with any terrorist group... there's not, as I'm advised, a membership of an organisation or a definite link to ISIL."

However, the terror group's propaganda outlet, Amaq, earlier said "The perpetrator of the operation... in Melbourne... was an Islamic State fighter and carried out the operation... to target nationals of the coalition" fighting the Islamic State.

"The working theory is at the moment, (it's) a case where this person has been downloading information or receiving messages in his own mind about what he should be doing. It's an inspiral (sic) as opposed to affiliation," Duton said.

There was "no evidence" available to intelligence services that the terrorist behind the Bourke Street stabbings was preparing an imminent attack, Dutton added. -- PTI

« Back to LIVE

TOP STORIES

EPL PIX: Manchester City thump Wolves; Arsenal down Bouremouth

IMAGES from Premier League matches played on Saturday.

Real Madrid secure LaLiga title after Girona thrash Barca

Ancelotti's second-string players proved they were up to the task as they secured three points for Real and kept them on course for the inevitable LaLiga title celebrations.

Kotak Mahindra Bank reports 25% rise in Q4 net profit

Kotak Mahindra Bank on Saturday reported a 25 per cent growth in its March quarter net profit at Rs 5,302 crore, limited by a drop in the core income due to narrow interest margins. On a standalone basis, the city-headquartered lender's...

1 IAF personnel killed, 4 injured in Poonch terror attack

The attack took place near Shashidhar in the evening when the vehicles were moving towards Sanai Top in the district's Surankote area.

IPL PIX: RCB fumble before scripting win over GT

IMAGES from the Indian Premier League match played between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Gujarat Titans in Bengaluru, on Saturday.