WELLINGTON: New Zealand police on Friday shot and killed a "violent extremist" known to the police, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said, after he stabbed and wounded at least six people in a supermarket.
The attacker, a Sri Lankan national who had been in New Zealand for 10 years, was inspired by the Islamic State militant group and was being "monitored constantly", Ardern said.
"A violent extremist undertook a terrorist attack on innocent New Zealanders," Ardern told a briefing.
"He obviously was a supporter of ISIS ideology," she said, referring to Islamic State.
The attacker, who was not identified, had been a "person of interest" for about five years, Ardern said, adding that he had been killed within 60 seconds of beginning his attack in the city of Auckland.
Police following the man thought he had gone into the New Lynn supermarket to do some shopping but he pulled out what one witness described as a large knife and started stabbing people.
"We were doing absolutely everything possible to monitor him and indeed the fact that we were able to intervene so quickly, in roughly 60 seconds, shows just how closely we were watching him," Police Commissioner Andrew Coster told the briefing.
Coster said the attacker was acting alone and the police were confident there was no further threat to the public.
New Zealand has been on alert for attacks since a white supremacist gunman killed 51 people at two mosques in the city of Christchurch on March 15, 2019.
Ardern, asked if the Friday attack could have been revenge for the 2019 mosque shootings, said it was not clear. The man alone who was responsible for the violence, not a faith, she said.
"It was hateful, it was wrong. It was carried out by an individual, not a faith," Ardern said. "He alone carries the responsibility for these acts."
'SOMEBODY GOT STABBED'
A video posted on social media showed shoppers in the supermarket seconds after the attacker struck.
"There's someone here with a knife ... he's got a knife," a woman can be heard saying. "Somebody got stabbed."
A guard asked people to leave the shopping mall shortly before about six shots rang out.
Ardern said that up until Friday, the man had not committed offences that would have led to his arrest and detention.
"If we had reached a threshold for him to be in prison, he would have been in prison," she said.
Asked if, since authorities were aware of the man, she was disappointed when she heard news of the attack, she said: "Yes, because I know we have been doing everything we could ... so I was absolutely gutted."
Of the six wounded people, three were in critical condition, one in serious condition and another in moderate condition, the St John ambulance service said.
Witnesses told reporters outside the mall they had seen several people lying on the floor with stab wounds. Other said they heard gunshots as they ran out of the supermarket.
Videos posted online earlier showed panicked shoppers running out of the mall and looking for cover.
Reuters
Fri Sep 03 2021
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern participates in a televised debate with National leader Judith Collins at TVNZ in Auckland, New Zealand, September 22, 2020. Fiona Goodall/Pool via REUTERS
Enam rakyat Vietnam ditemukan maut di sebuah hotel di Bangkok
Enam orang ditemukan maut di sebuah hotel di Bangkok, Thailand pada Selasa laporan media tempatan yang memetik polis Bangkok.
AWANI 7:45 [16/07/2024] - Suspek dibawa ke lokasi | Selamat tinggal rakyat Malaysia | Harimau Malaya hilang taring?
- Polis sahkan suspek bunuh Kartini anggota polis.
- Pan-Gon enggan dedah punca letak jawatan.
- Faisal Halim sedih mentor Pan-Gon undur diri.
- Pakai reben putih di Parlimen, tak salah.
- Pan-Gon enggan dedah punca letak jawatan.
- Faisal Halim sedih mentor Pan-Gon undur diri.
- Pakai reben putih di Parlimen, tak salah.
Najib fail permohonan di mahkamah rayuan cabar Titah Adendum
Berdasarkan sistem e-filing mahkamah, rayuan itu telah ditetapkan untuk pengurusan kes pada 7 Oktober ini.
Pangsapuri mewah bernilai RM1 juta menanti pemenang emas Olimpik
Hannah Yeoh berkata Jawatankuasa RTG telah menerima tawaran daripada pemaju hartanah, Top Residency, yang berminat untuk menghadiahkan pemenang pingat emas pertama.
E-sukan harus dijadikan kepentingan sehingga ke peringkat lebih tinggi
Kerajaan juga harus wujudkan sebuah dasar yang jelas supaya kepentingan e-sukan ini mampu diperkembangkan ke masa hadapan.
Kerajaan pandang serius penularan ideologi liberalism, pluralism
Kerajaan sentiasa memandang serius terhadap penularan ideologi dan aliran pemikiran yang bercanggah dengan ajaran Islam seperti ideologi liberalism dan pluralism agama.
Tidak dapat tidak, atlet RTG mesti bawa pulang emas - MOM
Atlet di bawah projek Road To Gold (RTG) tidak mempunyai pilihan selain memenangi emas yang diidam-idamkan Malaysia pada Sukan Olimpik 2024 di Paris.
KEDA peruntuk RM3.37 juta tahun ini bagi keterjaminan makanan
Lembaga Kemajuan Wilayah Kedah (KEDA) memperuntukkan RM3.37 juta pada tahun ini bagi memastikan keterjaminan makanan negara.
Dewan Rakyat lulus RUU Agensi Kawalan dan Perlindungan Sempadan Malaysia
Rang Undang-Undang Agensi Kawalan dan Perlindungan Sempadan Malaysia 2024 yang bertujuan menubuhkan MCBA diluluskan persidangan Dewan Rakyat, hari ini.
PAC akan mulakan prosiding isu dibangkit LKAN Siri 2/2024
Jawatankuasa Kira-Kira Wang Negara (PAC) akan memulakan prosiding bagi empat isu yang dibangkitkan dalam Laporan Ketua Audit Negara (LKAN) Siri 2/2024.
Tiga termasuk suami isteri didakwa sokong, miliki bahan pengganas IS
Tiga individu termasuk sepasang suami isteri dihadapkan ke Mahkamah Sesyen pada Selasa atas pertuduhan menyokong dan memiliki bahan berkaitan kumpulan pengganas Islamic State (IS).
Pekebun didakwa sokong pengganas ‘IS’, miliki barang berunsur keganasan
Seorang pekebun didakwa atas pertuduhan menyokong dan memiliki item berkaitan kumpulan pengganas Islamic State (IS), sejak tahun lalu.
Seorang warga Indonesia didakwa miliki item berunsur keganasan
Irwanzir yang bekerja sebagai buruh binaan di Balik Pulau didakwa melakukan kesalahan itu di belakang rumah yang beralamat di Hadapan Kanan, 352 Mukim C, Permatang Pasir Balik Pulau pada 6 Jan lalu.
Bukan Islam di Indonesia tidak lagi digelar 'kafir'
Cadangan mengharamkan menyebutkan warga Indonesia bukan Islam sebagai kafir tidak menghapus istilah itu dalam Al-Quran atau hadis, sebaliknya ia sikap teologis NU mengenai isu itu ketika ini.
Lapan pengunjung pasar raya jadi tebusan lelaki bersenjata
Seorang lelaki bersenjata telah menggunakanbeberapa pengunjung sebagai tebusan di sebuah pasar raya di Trebes, di barat daya Perancis.
Polis tangkap sembilan suspek terlibat aktiviti Daish
Dalam operasi di sekitar Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Sabah dan Kelantan itu, tiga warga asing dan enam rakyat Malaysia yang berusia antara 17 hingga 56 tahun ditahan.
Daish 'semakin agresif' - Cawangan Khas Bukit Aman
Cawangan Khas Bukit Aman beri amaran, kumpulan pengganas Daish 'semakin agresif' dalam menyebarkan ideologi mereka.
Militan Daish jual 'hamba seks' dalam talian
Menjual hamba seks atas talian oleh kumpulan militan Daishkini semakin mendapat perhatian warga dunia. Laman media sosial kini menjadi fokus mereka untuk menawarkan perkhidmatan ini.
PM sedih dengan insiden letupan di Istanbul
Datuk Seri Najib Razak melahirkan rasa dukacita dengan insiden pengeboman di Istanbul, Turki semalam yang telah meragut sekurang-kurangnya 10 nyawa.
Kes anggota komando miliki penerbitan berkaitan militan dipindah ke KL
Mohd Abu Haliff Shah Abu Bakar sebelum ini didakwa memiliki sehelai kemeja-T yang mempunyai kaitan dengan kumpulan militan Daish pada 12 Nov lepas.