Australian Police Treating Attack in Melbourne as Terrorism

Just days after a horrific Islamic terrorist attack in London claimed the lives of 7 innocent individuals, radical Islamic terror appears to have once again struck the West, this time in Melbourne, Australia.

A gunman, named Yacqub Khayre, engaged in a shootout with police, killing two men, injuring three police officers, but a female hostage was released from her capture. Officials are treating the incident as a terrorist attack, given the shooter’s history.

From CBS News:

Police were called to an apartment building in the Melbourne suburb of Brighton on Monday in response to reports of an explosion and discovered the body of a man in the lobby. Police tried to negotiate with a gunman in one of the apartments, an official said.

The gunman later left the building and shot three officers before police killed him. Two of the wounded police officers were taken to a hospital, and the other was treated at the scene. Victoria state Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said on Tuesday the gunman, who he did not name, had been implicated in a thwarted suicide attack at a Sydney army barracks in 2009.

“We believe that this person was there with those sorts of intentions, albeit we don’t know whether it was something planned at this stage,” Ashton told Seven Network television. “We are treating it as a terror attack,” he added.

Ashton earlier told Nine Network television that police were aware of the gunman “in relation to terrorism matters, albeit some years ago.”

“He is someone certainly known to us from his background, but certainly as of yesterday there wasn’t anything that we had that suggested that he was planning on embarking on this, that this was anything more than a spontaneous act,” Ashton added.

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) claimed responsibility for the violence. Ashton said police did not regard ISIS’ claim of responsibility as evidence that the violence was planned.

According to Reuters, the terrorist had been acquitted of plotting to attack a Sydney army base in 2009, and was currently on parole for a violent home invasion. The Prime Minister of Australia, Malcolm Turnbull, spoke out following the attack: “This terrorist attack by a known criminal, a man who was only recently released on parole, is a shocking cowardly crime. It is a terrorist attack and it underlines the need for us to be constantly vigilant, never to be deterred, always defiant, in the face of Islamic terrorism.”

Unlike Britain, it looks like Australia has leadership that isn’t afraid to name the enemy.

These increased incidents of terrorism make it clear that the United States needs to make major changes to our security procedures. President Trump’s calls for increased scrutiny on individuals traveling to this country are needed now more than ever to ensure that our government knows who wants to enter this country for nefarious reasons.

How should the international community respond to yet another terrorist attack? Share your thoughts below!

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