An Islamic extremist started stabbing people in a supermarket in Auckland, New Zealand today, leaving six people injured and three in critical condition, according to media reports.
New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described the incident in a West Auckland supermarket as a terrorist attack and confirmed that six people were injured. New Zealand police fatally shot the man armed with a knife who was attacking people.
Ardern said that the attacker was a Sri Lankan national who had been inspired by the Islamic State (Deaesh) ideology. She revealed the terrorist is a Sri Lankan national who arrived in New Zealand in October 2011 and he became a person of ‘national security interest’ from 2016. The reasons he is known to agencies is subject to suppression orders.
Ardern added the man was under ‘constant monitoring’ – the police team who was monitoring shot and killed him. She said all legal and surveillance power had been used to try to keep people safe from this individual.
New Zealand Police Commmissioner Andrew Coster said the man was under ‘heavy surveillance’ because of concerns about his ideology. He said the surveillance teams were “as close as they possibly could be without compromising the surveillance”.
He entered the store and obtained a knife from within the store before starting the attack. When the man approached police with the knife he was shot and killed.
Six people – all shoppers at the mall – were injured in the attack at LynnMall in New Lynn, Auckland. Three patients in a critical condition and one patient in a serious condition have been taken to Auckland City Hospital.
Did you find this article useful? We’re a non-profit. Make a donation and help pay for our journalism.HinduPost is now on Telegram.
For the best reports & opinion on issues concerning Hindu society, subscribe to HinduPost on Telegram.