Isis leader calls for retaliatory attacks over New Zealand terror attack
Isis has called for retaliation over the terror attack on two mosques by a white Australian that killed 50 in the New Zealand town of Christchurch.
The spokesman for the jihadist group, Abu Hassan al-Muhajir, has broken a six-month silence to say last week’s massacre “should incite the supporters of the caliphate to avenge their religion”, The New York Times reports.
The release of a 44-minute recording came as US-backed Syrian forces said they were nearing victory over IS in its final bit of territory at Baghouz in eastern Syria.
Self-described white supremacist Brenton Tarrant, 28, has been charged over the attacks which resulted in the deaths of 50 and the injury of another 50 people, all of whom were attending Friday prayers.
“The scenes of the massacres in the two mosques should wake up those who were fooled, and should incite the supporters of the caliphate to avenge their religion,” Abu Hassan al-Muhajir said in the recording.
Hundreds of mourners gathered in a Christchurch cemetery on Wednesday for the first funerals of those killed in the twin mosque massacre last Friday.
Jacinda Ardern vows to never recognise mosque attacker
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has vowed to never say the name of the man charged with the Christchurch mosque terror attack, in an effort to deny him notoriety.
Australian man Brenton Tarrant, 28, is planning to represent himself when he stands trial for shootings last week that killed 50.
Ardern told reporters efforts had to be made to prevent giving the gunman the attention he wanted.
‘One thing I can assure you, you won’t hear me speak his name.’
“He obviously had a range or reasons for committing this atrocious terrorist attacks. Lifting his profile was one them and that’s something we can absolutely deny him,” she said.
“One thing I can assure you, you won’t hear me speak his name.
“He is a terrorist. He is a criminal. He is an extremist. But he will, when I speak, be nameless.’