The Islamic State group said Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade would be an “excellent target” for lone-wolf attackers and called on them to use vehicles to inflict maximum damage during the yearly parade that attracts huge crowds.
In the latest edition of its new English-language magazine Rumiyah, the terror group that has wreaked havoc across the globe attempted to incite those who share its views into committing acts of violence in the organization’s name.
“One need not be a military expert or a martial arts master, or even own a gun or rifle, in order to carry out a massacre or to kill and injure several disbelievers and terrorize and entire nation,” the article posted in Rumiyah reportedly said.
Citing the example of the Bastile Day attack in Nice, France, in which Mohamed Salmene Lahouaiej-Bouhlel killed 86 people and injured over 400 others by ramming his truck into a boulevard full of people, ISIS encouraged the use of this technique.
3) “Just Terror Tactics” section praises #Nice vehicular attack, suggests markets, rallies, & specifically Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade pic.twitter.com/15rKo9b9Zl
— Rita Katz (@Rita_Katz) November 11, 2016
The article included a picture of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Manhattan, and it was captioned “An excellent target.” The parade, scheduled Nov. 24, begins at Central Park West, heading south along Sixth Avenue before turning left at 34th Street. The parade ends at Herald Square, completing a 2.5-mile stretch.
A law-enforcement official told the New York Post on Sunday that ISIS routinely calls for lone-wolf action, especially amid rumors of the group’s decreasing reach.
The source added: “The fact is, they have lost territory, key leaders and their resolve is fractured. New York City’s biggest threat is lone wolves — not direct ISIS.”
However, the federal official added there was no credible threat to the November parade, saying: “I definitely would have been notified [if such a threat existed].”
