Australian Police Say Knife Attack In Sydney Not Classified As Terrorism

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 13th August, 2019) Australian police do not currently classify the incident involving a knife attacker in central Sydney as terrorism and suspect it could be linked to the murder of a 21-year-old woman whose body was discovered near the crime scene, New South Wales Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said at a press conference on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, a man armed with a knife was reported to be running in the streets of central Sydney and jumping on cars. In the video footage, the attacker can be heard yelling "Allahu Akbar." Local media identified him as Mert Nay, 21, a local male from the Marayong suburb of Sydney who had possibly escaped from a mental health institution.

"Our counterterrorist command immediately stood up in the joint counterterrorist team that includes New South Wales police. State and Federal agencies have assessed all the valuable information in relation to this crime and it is not currently classed as a terrorist incident," Fuller said.

He described the attack as "terrifying carnage," in which the 21-year-old man stabbed a 41-year-old woman in the back with a large butcher knife. According to Fuller, the attacker was incapacitated by three bystanders, shortly after which police took him into custody.

"Information was found on him that would suggest he had some ideologies in relation to terrorism, but he has no links to terrorism, there is no current intelligence on this individual and he has no apparent links to other terrorist organizations," he added.

During extended crime scene searches that ensued, the body of a 21-year-old woman was discovered, Fuller said, adding that all currently available information suggested that these two crimes were linked.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison expressed deep concerns about the incident and praised the public for their bravery while confronting the attacker.