Eleven Precedents of ISIS-Inspired Vehicle Rammings: Precursors to New Orleans Attack

On New Year’s Day, at least 14 people were killed and dozens more wounded when a man drove a rented pickup truck into a crowd of revelers on Bourbon Street, New Orleans. The FBI quickly identified the assailant as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a U.S. Army veteran, saying that an ISIS flag was found in his truck and the Bureau was “working to determine” his “potential associations and affiliations with terrorist organizations.” Christopher Raia, the deputy assistant director of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division, explained in a press briefing that Jabbar posted several videos on Facebook as he drove the truck from Houston to New Orleans. In those videos, Jabbar proclaimed “his support for ISIS” and said “he had joined ISIS before this summer.” 

Despite Jabbar’s alleged fealty to ISIS, there is still much we do not know about him. Thus far, ISIS has not claimed responsibility for his violence, even though the group has repeatedly claimed credit for similar attacks in the past (see below). And aspiring terrorists are not automatons; like all humans, their behavior can rarely be attributed to a single factor. According to the FBI, Jabbar himself said he considered harming his own family and friends before deciding to attack in New Orleans. Such a sentiment may indicate a deeper psychological break or trauma.

Nonetheless, Jabbar allegedly decided that an attack in New Orleans was preferable because it would be viewed as part of the “war between the believers and the disbelievers” – a common ISIS motif. Indeed, the modus operandi he chose for his attack bears similarities to a string of ISIS-inspired attacks in the past.

As explained below, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and ISIS have repeatedly called on their followers to use their cars and trucks to run over victims. Jihadist groups are not unique in this regard. Other extremists, including those espousing far-right views, have used vehicles as ramming weapons against civilians. In December, a man who reportedly holds “Islamophobic” views and expressed his admiration for the far-right, anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, rammed a car into Magdeburg’s Christmas market. Five people were killed in the attack, which also wounded more than 200 others. German authorities have stated that the assailant in that attack also demonstrated signs of mental illness. 

Men inspired by ISIS have repeatedly employed this tactic as well. Just Security has collection of nine examples, from July 2016 to April 2020, of ISIS-inspired terrorists using vehicles to run over civilians in the U.S., Europe, and Central Asia. Two of these vehicular attacks were carried out inside the United States. In addition to those nine examples are two examples in which ISIS-inspired terrorists used their vehicles to run over police. 

It is potentially noteworthy that Jabbar used the same tactic. In the cases identified, there is evidence indicating that ISIS inspired the attacks. However, authorities often did not find a tangible operational link between the perpetrators and the ISIS organization. It may be the case that authorities also do not find any such connection between Jabbar and ISIS.

In some of the cases summarized below, ISIS-inspired terrorists recorded themselves swearing their fealty to the group and its leader prior to their day of terror. Jabbar’s videos have not been released to the public, but he allegedly made similar pronouncements. An analysis of his videos, as well as the “potential” improvised explosive devices (IEDs) allegedly found in his possession, may provide additional clues as to his path to Bourbon Street. There are multiple ways one can learn to assemble IEDs, but investigators are likely working to determine if his devices resemble those found in the online literature produced by ISIS and other terrorist groups.

A Propaganda Campaign to Inspire Vehicle Attacks

The simple idea to turn a vehicle into a ramming weapon is an old one. Terrorist groups found it difficult to plot and execute spectacular, mass casualty terrorist attacks in the United States after the 9/11 hijackings. Al Qaeda’s deadliest day led to a global manhunt for known al-Qaeda leaders and operatives, increased scrutiny of suspected terrorists, and other enhanced security measures. Given these operational roadblocks, al Qaeda sought to encourage individuals living in the West – that is, so-called lone wolves – to lash out on their own. Al Qaeda ideologues reasoned that if individuals could be encouraged to act on their own, without any detectable connections to an organized group, then they could evade detection by security services and terrorize civilians in the West.

With that focus in mind, Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) began publishing its English-language Inspire magazine in 2010. The second issue of the magazine, released in October of that year, included what may be the initial inspiration for the horror witnessed on Bourbon Street on New Year’s Day. One section was titled, “Tips for our brothers in the U.S.” and, among other ideas, encouraged al Qaeda’s admirers to turn a pickup truck into the “Ultimate Mowing Machine.” AQAP advised potential adherents that they should use their trucks “not to mow grass, but mow down the enemies of God.” The article emphasized: “To achieve maximum carnage, you need to pick up as much speed as you can while still retaining good control … to strike as many people as possible in your first run.”

While AQAP’s specific “Ultimate Mowing Machine” suggestion had little to no effect at first, the same general idea was repeatedly marketed by ISIS. In a lengthy diatribe released in October 2014, Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, the first spokesman of ISIS, encouraged followers to kill civilians living in the West however they could. “The best thing you can do is to strive to your best and kill any disbeliever, whether he be French, American, or from any of their allies,” al-Adnani said. “If you are not able to find an IED or a bullet, then single out the disbelieving American, Frenchman, or any of their allies,” Al-Adnani continued. “Smash his head with a rock, or slaughter him with a knife, or run him over with your car, or throw him down from a high place, or choke him, or poison him” (emphasis added).

ISIS spread this murderous idea online in the years that followed, repeatedly encouraging its followers to turn their cars or trucks into weapons. And multiple aspiring terrorists carried out attacks using their vehicles around the globe, which ISIS then lauded.

Timeline of Similar ISIS-Inspired Attacks Using Vehicles

1. On July 14, 2016, Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel drove a truck into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in Nice, France. More than 80 people were killed in the attack and hundreds more wounded. Two days later, ISIS claimed responsibility, labeling the perpetrator “a soldier of the Islamic State,” adding that he “executed the operation in response to calls to target citizens of coalition nations, which fight the Islamic State.” Despite ISIS’s claim of responsibility, French authorities did not find any solid links between Bouhlel and the group. Bouhlel’s father told the press that he had previously suffered from depression, received psychiatric treatment and had a history of substance abuse. Bouhlel’s fascination with ISIS also seems to have been a recent development at the time of his attack, as he watched the group’s videos online in the weeks preceding it.
2. Four and a half months later, on Nov. 28, 2016, a Somali refugee, Abdul Razak Ali Artan, drove his car into pedestrians at Ohio State University. After targeting people with his vehicle, Artan jumped out and began attacking his victims with a knife. A campus police officer quickly reacted and shot Artan, killing him. No innocents were killed in the incident, but multiple victims were injured. Once again, ISIS claimed that the perpetrator was its “soldier” and that he had acted in accordance with the group’s call to attack civilians in the anti-ISIS coalition countries. However, the FBI found Artan had “acted alone and was not directed by a terrorist organization.” It “appears” Artan was “influenced by extremist ideology, including Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) propaganda,” the FBI added.
3. Less than one month later, on Dec. 19, 2016, another young man, Anis Amri, hijacked and then drove a truck into a crowd at a Christmas market in Berlin. Twelve people were killed and dozens more wounded. Amri was killed in a shootout with police in Milan, Italy shortly after his attack. Prior to his demise, however, Amri recorded a video in which he pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. And he transmitted the video to one of ISIS’s chief propaganda outlets, the Amaq News Agency, for posting online. Other small-scale attacks throughout Europe in the months preceding Amri’s vehicular assault followed a similar pattern. On multiple occasions, terrorists recorded videos in which they pledged allegiance to ISIS’s so-called caliph. The videos served as an effective propaganda tool, allowing ISIS to portray itself as a guiding hand. Amri’s ties to ISIS went beyond his recorded allegiance. German prosecutors tied him to a network of extremists that included the ISIS terrorists responsible for the Nov. 2015 attacks in Paris.
4. On March 22, 2017, Khalid Masood drove his car into pedestrians on the Westminster Bridge near the British Parliament. Masood then got out of his vehicle and attacked others, including police officers, with knives before he was shot dead. In total, four people were killed and 29 others injured. Years prior to his attack, MI5 officials investigated Masood’s suspected ties to extremists, but ultimately decided to close their inquiry after they determined there was insufficient evidence to warrant prosecution. Masood also had a lengthy criminal history. After his attack, British authorities found that Masood “clearly had an interest in Jihad,” and his actions “echo[ed] the rhetoric of [ISIS] leaders in terms of methodology and attacking police and civilians,” but they did not find any evidence directly linking him to ISIS. Nonetheless, ISIS claimed he acted as its “soldier.”
5. On April 7, 2017, Rakhmat Akilov drove a hijacked beer truck into a crowd of people in Stockholm, Sweden. Five people were killed and more than a dozen injured. “We know he has shown sympathies to extreme groups, among them ISIS,” Jonas Hysing, the Swedish national police spokesman, said at the time. “We won’t comment any further on that,” Hysing added. Akilov’s lawyer subsequently said his client had admitted to committing a “terrorist crime.” However, it does not appear that ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack.
6. On June 3, 2017, three assailants drove a van into pedestrians on the London Bridge and then proceeded to Borough Market, where they jumped out of the vehicle and began stabbing victims in restaurants. All three terrorists – identified as Khuram Shazad Butt, Rachid Redouane, and Youssef Zaghba – were shot and killed during their attack, but not before they killed seven victims and wounded dozens more. The assailants had known ties to extremists in Europe and were found to be in possession of ISIS propaganda. While the trio apparently did not formally join ISIS overseas, the terror group’s propagandists nevertheless described them as a “unit of Islamic State fighters.”
7. On June 19, 2017, Djaziri Adam Lotfi drove a car packed with explosives into a police convoy. No victims were killed in the failed attack, but Lotfi was killed when his car exploded. The incident differs from other examples on this list in that Lotfi does not appear to have targeted civilians or pedestrians. Prior to the attack, French authorities had placed Lotfi on a watch list, deeming him a threat to national security. Lotfi also reportedly pledged allegiance to the leader of ISIS in a letter to his family that was discovered. And ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack through one of its propaganda outlets.
8. On August 17, 2017, Younes Abouyaaqoub drove a van into Barcelona’s Las Ramblas promenade, killing 13 people and wounding more than 120 others. Eight hours later, other assailants drove a car into pedestrians in Cambrils, killing one woman. During his escape, Abouyaaqoub stabbed another victim to death and hijacked his car. Abouyaaqoub was shot dead by police a few days later after a massive manhunt. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils. Spanish investigators found that both ramming attacks were connected to a terrorist cell that had been planning larger attacks involving explosives. Members of that cell were reportedly indoctrinated by a cleric who supported ISIS.
9. On Halloween (October 31), 2017, Sayfullo Saipov drove a 6,000-lb truck into 20 people on the Hudson River Bike Path in Manhattan. Eight people were killed and multiple others were seriously wounded. Like the attacker in New Orleans, Saipov carried an ISIS-style flag in his truck and professed his loyalty to the group. ISIS also praised Saipov as its “soldier” though he had never served in its ranks overseas. Saipov was subsequently sentenced to life in prison for his crimes.
10. On July 29, 2018, a small team of five youths drove a car into foreign tourists who were cycling in Tajikistan. They then exited the vehicle and began stabbing the tourists. Four people, including two Americans, were killed in the attack. Prior to the attack, the youth recorded a video in which they pledged allegiance to ISIS. The video was released by an ISIS propaganda arm, which also portrayed them as the organization’s “soldiers.”
11. On April 27, 2020, a man identified as Youssef T. rammed his car into police motorcycles in Colombes, a Paris suburb, injuring three police officers. As with the June 2017 attack described above (no. 7), it does not appear that the assailant targeted civilians or pedestrians. French authorities found a letter in which he pledged allegiance to the leader of ISIS.

 A Common Inspiration 

As the timeline above shows, ISIS has inspired similar attacks to the one in New Orleans on multiple occasions. This does not mean that ISIS, as an organization, has a significant footprint inside the United States. And it is certainly possible that Jabbar, like most of the perpetrators listed above, lacked any direct connection to the group. Authorities are likely still examining his online communications to determine if he had any virtual ties to ISIS, or was merely inspired by the group’s propaganda. They are also investigating other potential causes of his behavior. 

Still, if ISIS’s role in inspiring the New Orleans attack is borne out by the evidence collected in the full investigation, then it is a reminder that the group can still gain a hold in troubled minds around the globe – long after its so-called caliphate ceased to exist.