TEL AVIV – Writing on an encrypted messaging application, Islamic State loyalists celebrated Monday’s deadly shooting at Ohio State University after the terrorist group, through its affiliated news agency Amaq, claimed responsibility for the carnage.
The hateful messages were obtained by Breitbart Jerusalem after they were posted on a closed group for Islamic State militants and supporters using the encrypted messaging app Telegram. IS reportedly utilized Telegram to release a one-paragraph statement to further claim that Abdul Razak Ali Artan, the perpetrator of the attack in Ohio, was one of its jihadists.
“Our agency Amaq claimed responsibility for the attack in Ohio,” the user who goes by the name of Abu Hajar Alshami wrote. “Thank Allah for the gift of jihad that he received. Allah bless the perpetrator. We ask Allah to welcome him as a martyr in heaven, and to welcome us just the same. Blessed be all those turning their weapons to the tyrants and infidels. They play a huge role in the war of jihad.”
Abu Aisha Aliraqi wrote: “Thank Allah for cherishing the mujahedeen and humiliating the tyrants and the infidels. Allah bless jihad. Congratulations to our brother the perpetrator who was the first to respond to the appeal of Welayat Raqqa…
“With the ‘Attack Them’ video. With Allah’s help this attack will be only the first in a string of attacks that our brothers the supporters of our state will carry out in support of the mujahedeen in Iraq and Syria and of oppressed Muslims everywhere. We tell America and everyone who supports it: We swear to Allah, we will punish you in the way Allah and justice promised.”
The user “Almujahed of IS” wrote: “Our sheikh the martyr [Abu Muhammad] al-Adnani [a top IS leader and spokesman who was killed in August], please Allah welcome him as a martyr, said: ‘Take heed, America, take heed, America’s allies. Today is a new era. We are a state whose fighters and sons are masters, not slaves.’ Indeed, it is the fighters of our Islamic State who will not allow the non-believing countries to continue to kill us. They will pay a price. We have brothers who are able to undermine your regimes from inside.”
“Allah please welcome our sheikh, Abu Mohammed [al-Adnani] who promised them death in their midst, and today we see the supporters of our state terrorizing them at home,” Abu Salsabil The Believer wrote. “We ask Allah to shake up America and the non-believing countries with new attacks. Your brothers can do it, and the good news is still on the way, with Allah’s help. The countries fighting Islam who wish to see the victory of the cross will tremble.”
In the attack, Artan rammed his car into pedestrians, then exited the vehicle and slashed people with a butcher knife, injuring eleven. Artan’s terrorist tactics were similar to those utilized by Palestinian terrorists here in recent years.
ABC News reported on the Islamic State claims about Artan:
On Tuesday, the ISIS terror claimed that Artan was one of its “soldiers.”
In a message circulated online from one of its media outlets, ISIS said an “insider source” reported that he “is a soldier” of ISIS and “carried out the operation in response to calls to target citizens of international coalition countries,” according to a translation by the SITE Intelligence Group.
While ISIS has repeatedly called on its followers to conduct attacks in the U.S., no evidence has emerged publicly to suggest ISIS had foreknowledge of the OSU plot. The language used in this claim is similar to that used when previous so-called “lone wolves” were believed to have acted independently of the terrorist organization.
Aaron Klein is Breitbart’s Jerusalem bureau chief and senior investigative reporter. He is a New York Times bestselling author and hosts the popular weekend talk radio program, “Aaron Klein Investigative Radio.” Follow him on Twitter @AaronKleinShow. Follow him on Facebook.
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