Manchester Victoria terror stabbings happened hours after ISIS called for lone wolf attacks

The Manchester Victoria ‘terror’ attack happened just hours after ISIS called for lone wolf terror across the world.

As revellers prepared to ring in the New Year last night, horror unfolded at the train station when British Transport Police were called at 8:52pm to reports of a man with a knife.

Two members of the public and a police officer were stabbed during the attack in front of horrified witnesses.

Police confirmed they are treating it as a terror-related incident and have been searching an address in Cheetham Hill, Manchester, where the 25-year-old suspect is believed to have most recently been living.

Just hours before the stabbings, it was revealed ISIS fanatics had flooded the internet with material urging so-called ‘lone wolf’ attacks.

One poster threatened a New Year’s Day attack in New York while another clearly urges attacks in London – with a poster showing Big Ben in the background.

The London illustrated poster reads “welcome to bloody years” while an image showing the New York skyline and an ISIS soldier reads: “New York 1/1/2019” and a fire can be seen burning through the city.

“And hit them with the explosive belts and vehicle bomb, and shock them with adhesive explosives and packages, and harvest them with silencers and snipers, horrify and terrify the with the intrusions.”

There is no confirmed ISIS link and police tasered and pepper-sprayed the suspect at the scene before being arresting him “within minutes”.

He was seen on a Snapchat video shouting “Allahu Akbar” – meaning “God is the greatest” – as he
was bundled into a police van.

A witness said the suspect also shouted about “bombings in other countries” and “Allah” during the incident.

Five officers were seen pinning him to the ground and the suspect was today being questioned on suspicion of attempted murder.

The unnamed man and woman who were injured were members of the public in their 50s.

The woman has injuries to her face and abdomen and the man has injuries to his abdomen.

An eyewitness said but both were conscious after the attack and were walked to a waiting ambulance.

Their injuries have been described as “serious” but not life-threatening. They were both kept in Manchester Royal Infirmary overnight.

The other victim was a BTP police sergeant in his 30s who suffered a knife wound to the shoulder.

Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said in a latest update: “We are treating this as a terrorist investigation which is being led by counter terrorism officers with support from Greater Manchester Police. They were working throughout the night to piece together the details of what happened and to identify the man who was arrested.

“This detailed work will continue and we are currently searching an address in the Cheetham Hill area of Manchester which is believed to be where the man had most recently been living. Our work will continue to ensure we get to the full facts of what happened and why it took place.”

Source: Mirror