Terrorist attack in New York leaves 8 dead, 11 injured
An immigrant drove a van into a group of cyclists in Manhattan, New York City. Eight people were killed and 11 were injured in the terrorist attack. Politicians from various countries reacted to the incident.
On Tuesday afternoon (October 31) at around 3 p.m. local time, a man identified by New York police as Sayfullah Saipov, who is of Uzbek descent, drove a rented pickup truck into a bike path in Manhattan, New York, killing at least eight people and injuring 11 others. Five of the dead were Argentine tourists.
According to eyewitnesses, the attacker got out of the van after it hit a bus carrying students and shouted "Allahu Akbar."
According to New York Police officials, he was carrying an air rifle and a paintball gun.
The police officers did not give the attacker a chance to escape, but wounded and arrested him.
According to American media reports, 29-year-old Sayfullah Saipov immigrated to the United States from Uzbekistan in 2010 and lives in Florida.
Internal and external reactions
In his first tweet in response to the incident, US President Donald Trump wrote: "Another attack by a sick and evil individual. Police are monitoring this incident. Not in America!"
"We must not allow ISIS to return, or to enter our country, after we have driven it (ISIS) from the Middle East. Enough is enough," he wrote in another message.
The US president then offered his condolences to the families of the victims and announced that he would make it more difficult for foreigners to enter the United States.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called the incident a “cowardly terrorist attack.” “This is a very painful day for our city, but New Yorkers will not be changed by a terrorist act,” he said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also said: "Our thoughts are with all the residents of our host city. Today we are all at UN Headquarters in New York."
British Prime Minister Theresa May, London Mayor Sadiq Khan, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy were among the first to respond to the New York attack and express solidarity and empathy with the citizens of New York.
Source: DW
