Threat of ISIS-Inspired Terrorism Remains High

(New York, NY) – The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) released the following statement in response to a vehicle attack in Lower Manhattan today:

“Today’s vehicle attack in Manhattan, in which the driver of a rental truck drove down a busy bicycle path, killing at least eight people and injuring at least 15 others, is being investigated as an act of terrorism. This attack is a stark reminder that even as U.S.-led forces are pushing back against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, the threat of directed and inspired attacks by the terrorist group remains high.

“Since September 2014 when ISIS spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani issued a call to kill non-believers ‘with a rock, or slaughter him with a knife, or run him over with your car,’ terrorists have increased their use of low-tech tactics. CEP has documented at least 34 attacks that have involved the use of vehicles as weapons of terror, which is a specific tactic recommended in ISIS propaganda.

“Unfortunately, such propaganda material remains all too available online. For example, CEP located a 26-second video clip from a longer ISIS video—which instructs supporters on how to carry out a vehicular attack—on the Internet Archive the same day the truck-ramming incident occurred in downtown New York City. In its report, Vehicles as Weapons of Terror, CEP highlights how terrorists since 2006 have used low-tech terrorism tactics to kill at least 196 people and injure more than 1,049 others.”