Canada: Terrorism charges laid after knife attack on Surrey, B.C., bus

From CBC  and CTV News Vancouver

A British Columbia man who allegedly slashed a man’s throat on a transit bus in Surrey, B.C., on Saturday is facing terrorism charges.

According to court documents filed by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, the man is alleged to have committed the assault for “the Islamic State” — commonly known as ISIS.

Court documents provided by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada show that Abdu Aziz Kawam (born in 1995) has been charged with attempted murder, aggravated assault, assault causing bodily harm, and assault with a weapon. The charging documents say that all four offences are alleged to have been “for the benefit of at the direction of or in association with a terrorist group; to wit, the Islamic State.”

Kawan made his first court appearance by video Monday, sitting in front of a white wall dressed in a prison-issue jumpsuit and showing little emotion. A publication ban is in place preventing the details of the hearing from being reported.

Metro Vancouver Transit Police say the suspect had threatened someone at a bus stop before allegedly attacking a different person after boarding. “During that altercation, one of the men allegedly took out a knife and slashed the other male’s throat,” Const. Amanda Steed told CBC News on Sunday.

The victim was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries but survived emergency surgery and is expected to make a full recovery.

Transit Police told CBC News that a nurse at the hospital told them the victim only survived because the knife used in the attack was dull.