SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT

Peace in Palestine = Peace in the World

ADVERTISEMENT

SCROLL TO CONTINUE WITH CONTENT

At Least 49 Dead in New Zealand Mosque Attacks

Nidiya Fitriyah - Friday, 15 March 2019 - 16:25 WIB

Friday, 15 March 2019 - 16:25 WIB

0 Views ㅤ

Christchurch, MINA – Forty-nine people have been killed and at least 20 wounded in shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison described an alleged gunman, who had Australian citizenship, as an “extremist, right-wing” terrorist, BBC News reported on Friday (15/3).

A man in his late twenties was charged with murder and will appear in court on Saturday morning, police confirmed.

Two other men and one woman were detained nearby and firearms seized, Police Commissioner Mike Bush said.

Also Read: Massive Protests Erupt Across the US Against Trump and Musk Policies

He said police had determined that one of the people detained was not involved in the incident, and officers were working to understand if the other two were connected.

The gunman appeared to have live-streamed footage of his rampage to Facebook, filmed with a head-mounted camera. The footage appeared to show him firing indiscriminately at men, women, and children from close range inside the Al-Noor mosque.

Police called on the public not to share the “extremely distressing” footage online. Facebook said it had removed the gunman’s Facebook and Instagram accounts and was working to remove any copies of the footage.

The suspect was also believed to have published a manifesto outlining his intentions, in which he identified himself as a 28-year-old born in Australia and espoused far right and anti-immigrant ideology.

Also Read: Video Evidence Challenges Israeli Military’s Justification for Killing of Gaza Paramedics

Police Commissioner Bush confirmed that the suspect who was charged was not known in advance to either New Zealand or Australian security services.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern called it one of New Zealand’s “darkest days”. “It is clear that this can now only be described as a terrorist attack,” she said.

The first report of an attack came from the Al Noor mosque, located in central Christchurch. Witnesses told local media they ran for their lives, and saw people bleeding on the ground outside the building.

A second mosque in the suburb of Linwood was evacuated, but there were fewer details from that site. Police also defused “a number of IEDs (explosive devices) attached to vehicles”, Mr Bush said.

Also Read: Microsoft Employees Protest AI Use by Israeli Military During 50th Anniversary Celebration

Authorities advised all mosques in the city to shut down until further notice. Armed police were also seen at Papanui High School in Christchurch, which was cordoned off.

Speaking at a press conference, Mr Bush said police were working to determine whether the other suspects detained were involved in the incident.

He said a number of firearms had been recovered from both shooting sites.(T/R04/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA) 

Also Read: Qatar Condemns Israeli Airstrike on Gaza School and Medical Warehouse

Recommendation for you

Articles
Palestine
Israeli Soldiers (Photo by Amir Levy/Getty Images)
Europe
Indonesia
Europe