New York City terror suspect ‘proud’ of attack, followed ISIS instructions

From ABC7NY

LOWER MANHATTAN, New York (WABC) —

New York City terror suspect Sayfullo Saipov was out of surgery Wednesday morning, and is expected to survive after he was shot by NYPD officers during a truck rampage that killed eight people in Lower Manhattan.

Investigators said they were able to talk with Saipov. It’s unclear what, if anything, investigators learned from him. Though, one official told ABC News he was “proud” of the attack.
They added that the suspect followed instructions for a truck attack that were distributed by ISIS “to a T.” Saipov allegedly left behind a handwritten note written in Arabic that translates to: “The Islamic State will endure forever.”

Investigators spent the overnight hours collecting video and still images from traffic and surveillance cameras along the route of the attack. Those images show Saipov drove carefully and at moderate speed until he enters the jogging path at Houston Street and accelerates. Investigators believe that suggests he knew where he wanted to begin the attack, and they are now going through toll records and other digital records to see if Saipov had scoped out the location beforehand.

Saipov’s links to Isis are being closely examined. He reportedly left behind a note in the truck he used for the attack citing his support for the jihadist terror group.

However a firm link to the group is yet to be established, leading to suggestions that Saipov was radicalised during his time in America. Andrew Cuomo, the New York governor, said on Tuesday:  “He was associated with Isis. He was radicalised domestically.

Meanwhile chilling online postings from Islamic groups in the run-up to the attack have raised suspicions about the level of forethought. One photo posted on an Isis-linked Twitter page before the attack appears to have been taken in the same spot in Manhattan where the truck mounted the bike path.  The image, which shows the 1 World Trade Center in the background, was taken posted two months ago according to the respected SITE group which monitors terror activity.