Rotterdam's Knife Assault Labeled as an Act of Islamic Terrorism
In Rotterdam's bustling Dutch harbor, an assault carried out by an individual wielding a knife left one casualty dead and another wounded last Thursday. Witnesses claimed to have heard cries of "Allahu akbar" following the incident. The public prosecutor's office has initiated an investigation, suspecting the incident as a potential Islamic terror attack.
The grisly street attack has authorities considering it to be a possible act of Islamic terrorism, as per the public prosecutor's office declarations. The young 22-year-old suspect from Amersfoort is being treated as a terrorist suspect. Investigators point towards religious extremist motivations as the cause, with the suspect reportedly yelling "Allahu akbar" (meaning "God is great" in Arabic) repeatedly throughout the attack, aligning with eyewitness testimonies. He currently faces charges for premeditated murder and attempted murder with terrorist intent, although other motives remain a possibility at this stage.
Thursday evening saw the man brandishing two sizeable knives attacking bystanders in the busy vicinity of the popular nightlife district, adjacent to the Erasmus Bridge, as reported by the ANP news agency. The area is also synonymous with recreational sports.
Injured victim released from the hospital
The assailant was apprehended post-attack and was subsequently hospitalized with injuries. He was subsequently brought before a judge and remanded in custody on Friday. He possesses a record of previous violent crimes. The 33-year-old Swiss resident who was injured in the incident has since been discharged from the hospital.
The Netherlands has been confronted with multiple attempted and successful attacks in recent years. In 2019 alone, a man of Turkish origin launched a deadly shooting spree on a tram in Utrecht, resulting in four fatalities. Meanwhile, authorities detained two individuals suspected of planning an attack, involving suicide bombers and car explosions, that same year.
The country's most notorious Islamic terror event involves a connection to a jihadist network and led to the assassination of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh, who was an outspoken critic of Islam, in Amsterdam in 2004.
The investigation into the attack in Rotterdam's harbor by the public prosecutor's office suggests a potential link to Islamic terror, given the suspect's cries of "Allahu akbar" and previous violent crimes. Consequent to the incident, the European Union has expressed concern and solidarity with the Netherlands, urging increased vigilance and cooperation in the fight against terrorism.
