An alleged member of the Islamic State is being questioned in Iraq after officials in that country accused him of playing a role in inciting the deadly New Year’s Day terror attack in New Orleans.
However, U.S. officials say they have not established a direct link between the suspect in Iraq and 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar, the U.S. citizen from Texas who drove his truck through a crowd of revelers for several blocks on Bourbon Street, killing 14 people.
Din Jabbar flew the black and white ISIS flag on the back of the truck when he carried out the attack, but ISIS never officially took responsibility for the attack.
Iraqi authorities issued a statement on April 27 saying that the National Center for International Judicial Cooperation had received a request from the U.S. to assist in its investigation of the New Orleans terror attack. The statement said the suspect was found to be a member of the ISIS foreign operations office.
Din Jabbar rented a white Ford pickup truck in Houston and drove to New Orleans to carry out the attack, U.S. authorities said. After ramming his truck into a crowd in the early morning hours of January 1, he died in a shootout with police.
Prior to carrying out the attack, he posted videos to social media indicating he was inspired by ISIS and expressed a desire to kill.
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