US Army Veteran Behind New Orleans Attack "100% Inspired By ISIS": FBI

A US army veteran motivated by loyalty to the jihadist group Islamic State likely acted alone when he killed and injured dozens in a truck attack against a New Orleans crowd of New Year revelers, the FBI said Thursday.

Despite initial concerns that Shamsud-Din Jabbar had accomplices still on the run, preliminary investigations show he likely was alone, FBI deputy assistant director Christopher Raia said.

"We do not assess at this point that anyone else was involved," Raia said.

However, new evidence emerged detailing the extent of the US citizen's loyalty to Islamic State and his plans to cause mayhem in the attack, which killed 14 and injured more than 30 in the French Quarter district, ending only after he was shot by police.

"He was 100 percent inspired by ISIS," Raia said, using an alternative name for the international jihadist group.

Just before the attack, in which 42-year-old Jabbar slammed a rented Ford F-150 pickup into the crowd, he "posted several videos to an online platform proclaiming his support for ISIS," Raia said.

He also carried a black ISIS flag on the back of the vehicle.

In one video, Jabbar "explains he originally planned to harm his family and friends, but was concerned the news headlines would not focus on the 'war between the believers and the disbelievers.'"

Raia said that Jabbar had planted two homemade bombs in drinks coolers in French Quarter streets. The bombs were viable but were made safe in time, he said.

Raia clarified that the total death count of 15 from Wednesday's carnage included 14 victims and Jabbar himself, who died after wounding two police officers in an exchange of gunfire.

Vegas incident likely separate

The New Orleans attack coincided with a high-profile incident in Las Vegas a few hours later where a Tesla Cybertruck blew up outside a hotel owned by US President-elect Donald Trump.

One person was killed and seven were injured in the incident. It remains unclear whether it was accidental or deliberate.

US media quoted law enforcement sources as saying the person who rented the Telsa truck was a current US Army special forces member.

In another echo of the New Orleans incident, the vehicles in both cases had been rented through the car-sharing app Turo.

Raia said: "At this point, there is no definitive link between the attack here in New Orleans and the one in Las Vegas."

Cleanup on Bourbon Street

In New Orleans' French Quarter, cleaners continued to clear the debris. Bourbon Street, at the heart of the area's famous nightlife and jazz establishments, remained closed to the public.

After a 24-hour delay due to the violence, the city was gearing up to stage the major Sugar Bowl college football game in the Superdome later Thursday. The stadium will also host the NFL's Super Bowl championship game in February.

"We believe we can absolutely provide a safe and wonderful environment today, and hold the Super Bowl and all of our activities," New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said.

Trump rant

The terrifying incident came three weeks before Trump takes over as president.

The Republican has used the mayhem to push his anti-immigrant agenda, despite the killer being a US-born citizen.

Overnight, Trump again took to social media to link the attack to "OPEN BORDERS."

In a lengthy rant, he berated law enforcement bodies for "attacking their political opponent, ME, rather than focusing on protecting Americans from the outside and inside violent SCUM."

Claiming "the USA is breaking down," Trump said, without giving details: "the CIA must get involved."

Radicalization

Police say Jabbar drove at high speed into the crowd, intent on causing maximum casualties.

"There were bodies and blood and all the trash," bystander Zion Parsons told CNN. "People were terrified, running, screaming."

"It was just scary, I cried my eyes out, honestly," tourist Ethan Ayersman, 20, told AFP.

The Pentagon said Jabbar served in the Army as a human resources specialist and an IT specialist from 2007 to 2015, and then in the army reserve until 2020.

He deployed to Afghanistan from February 2009 until January 2010, an army spokesperson said.

Raia said the growing focus now is on how Jabbar became radicalized.

"That's the stuff in the coming days, as far as that path to radicalization, that we're really going to be digging into and making a priority of," he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Delhi Man Complains About Loud Music On New Year's Eve, Beaten To Death

A complaint about loud music played on New Year's Eve ended fatally for a man in west Delhi's Rohini area. 

Dharmender,  40, had a fight with his neighbours about the loud music played during the New Year's Party. 

The police were called in at 1 am and they found that Dharmendra was taken to the hospital, where he was declared dead by the doctors. 

The police identified the accused neighbours as Piyush Tiwari or Kittu, 21, and his brother Kapil, 26.

The police said when Dharmendra had complained about the music, they beat him to death.

A case has been filed and the matter is being investigated. Both the accused have been arrested, the police said in a statement.

Dharmendra is survived by his wife and three children.
 

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UK Man Falls 600-Ft To His Death From Helvellyn Mountain

A dog walker in the UK tragically fell 600 feet to his death from the peak of Helvellyn, one of the Lake District's tallest mountains, according to a report in The Telegraph. The unnamed man was reported missing by his wife after he went on a walk with his black labrador. As per the police, the wife had been tracking her husband's progress on the phone but noticed he had not moved for a few hours, which prompted her to inform the authorities.

The search operation involved seven mountain teams, two coastguard and rescue helicopters probing the numerous routes leading to Helvellyn's summit, where his phone last signalled. However, the atrocious weather conditions meant that a total of 68 rescue personnel from various teams including Patterdale, Keswick, Langdale Ambleside, Cockermouth, Penrith, and Kirkby Stephen had to spend two days to complete the operation.

As per Cumbria Police, the man had left a holiday home in Grasmere and gone out on his bicycle with his dog. On the first day, the search had to be called off around 1:30 am as the safety of the team members could have been compromised.

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Body recovered

On the second day, the team, using a rope system, descended a headwall down towards Red Tarn where the dog was found "safe and well" on a ledge. After the team members were lowered, the man's body was found near the lake on the eastern side of the mountain.

"The man's body was lowered by stretcher to the back of Red Tarn, then carried down to Greenside and transported back to Patterdale Base where it was handed over to Cumbria Police. The whole incident took 20 hours to complete over two days," a mountain rescue spokesman told the publication.

"We would like to send our condolences to the man's family and friends and our thanks to the various teams and search and rescue helicopter crews who assisted with the search and subsequent recovery."

Meanwhile, the police said the death was not believed to be suspicious.

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Fungus Wiping Out Frogs: Innovative "Frog Saunas" Offer Hope for Survival

Frogs around the world are being severely impacted by the chytrid fungus, which has led to population declines in over 500 species and the presumed extinction of approximately 90 species. This invasive pathogen is disrupting ecosystems and causing significant biodiversity loss. Innovative methods to combat this threat have emerged, focusing on providing frogs with heated environments to resist infection. This approach, which is both affordable and adaptable, has shown promise in addressing the devastating effects of chytrid on amphibian populations.

Fighting the Fungus with Heat

According to a study published in Nature, chytrid infections intensify in colder months. Researchers have developed "frog saunas," small heated structures that allow amphibians to elevate their body temperature, helping them fight off the infection. The fungus, unable to survive high temperatures, can be eliminated when frogs spend time in these saunas. In experiments conducted in both controlled and outdoor environments, infected frogs that used these heated enclosures were found to clear the infection significantly faster than those kept in colder conditions.

Natural Immunity and Resistance

As reported by The Conversation, frogs cured through heat treatment developed increased resistance to future chytrid infections. Laboratory trials demonstrated that frogs previously exposed to controlled heating were far less likely to succumb to reinfections. When implemented in outdoor trials, frogs instinctively utilised the saunas to elevate their body temperatures, effectively reducing infection rates and mortality.

Broader Applications of Frog Saunas

The initiative, being deployed at Sydney Olympic Park, focuses on preserving one of the largest populations of green and golden bell frogs. The structures, made with easily sourced materials, offer a practical solution for conservationists and the public alike. Efforts are underway to expand the use of saunas to protect other endangered species.

Conservationists encourage individuals to contribute by building backyard saunas or participating in citizen science projects, which can help track and protect local frog populations. With widespread adoption, this approach may play a crucial role in reducing the chytrid fungus's impact on global amphibian biodiversity.

 

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