Six ISIS-inspired terror attacks have occurred on US soil.

The latest in a series of ISIS attacks on the homeland occurred on Wednesday.

Six ISIS-inspired terror attacks have occurred on US soil.
Six ISIS-inspired terror attacks have occurred on US soil.

The ISIS flag was displayed on the back of the pick-up truck used by suspect Shamsud-Din Jabbar to kill at least 14 innocent revelers during the New Year's Day terror attack in New Orleans.

Christopher Raja, FBI Deputy Assistant Director, stated on Thursday that Jabbar, a former Army veteran who served in Afghanistan, joined ISIS and posted videos on Facebook supporting the group before carrying out a heinous attack.

Raja stated that in the first video, Jabbar revealed that he had only intended to harm his family and friends, but was worried that the media would not emphasize the "war between the believers and the disbelievers" in the news headlines.

new-orleans-isis
A pro-ISIS outlet called on Muslims in Russia, Europe and the U.S. to conduct attacks on New Year's Eve. (AP Photos / Getty Images)

How many attacks has ISIS been responsible for in the United States, and what exactly is ISIS?

What is ISIS?

The Islamic State, formerly known as ISIS and IS, is a terrorist group that split off from al-Qaeda and has carried out and inspired attacks globally, resulting in thousands of fatalities and injuries, as stated by the Director of National Intelligence.

The group adheres to a Sunni Islamist ideology that aims to establish a worldwide caliphate, a state governed by a strict interpretation of Sharia law.

The group is known for carrying out terror attacks, beheadings on videos, systematic rape, and other sexual violence against members of other faiths. Additionally, they target fellow Sunni Muslims who do not adhere to their strict interpretation of Islam.

By 2014, ISIS had seized vast territories in Iraq and Syria under the leadership of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

In 2019, U.S. Joint Special Operations Command killed Al-Baghdadi, and U.S.-backed forces ejected ISIS from its last stronghold in Syria, declaring victory over the terror group. However, ISIS continues to operate clandestinely in both Syria and Iraq.

The origins of the group can be traced back to 2004 when an Iraqi extremist network led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi merged with al-Qaeda to form ISIS's predecessor group, al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI). In 2013, AQI changed its name to ISIS and in 2014 the group separated from al-Qaeda, declaring itself a caliphate and taking over vast swaths of territory in Iraq and Syria.

How active is ISIS in the US?

According to experts, the group is believed to motivate individuals with psychotic tendencies to carry out "lone wolf" attacks, which can be challenging to distinguish from ordinary criminal behavior and terrorist activities.

Some experts contend that ISIS's power stems from its brand image, which motivates both militant groups and individuals to carry out attacks, even though the group may not have direct involvement.

Armed extremist groups in Africa, Asia, and Europe have pledged loyalty to the group due to its credo and military achievements.

ISIS-inspired attacks in the US

Over the past ten years, ISIS has motivated numerous acts of terror on American soil.

1. 2016 Pulse Nightclub massacre — 49 dead

In June 2016, during "Latin Night" at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, Omar Mateen opened fire, killing 49 people and injuring 53 others in the deadliest terror-related mass shooting in U.S. history.

The FBI previously stated that he committed the mass shooting in support of ISIS.

In 1986, Mateen was born to Afghan parents in New York. Currently residing in Port St. Lucie, Florida, he met a tragic end when he engaged in a three-hour standoff with SWAT team members, resulting in his death.

Flowers and photos left in memory of Pulse massacre victims
A memorial on the fifth anniversary of the tragic Pulse Nightclub massacre on June 12, 2021 in Orlando. (George Wilson Foto 2021/DeFodi images via Getty Images)

2. New Orleans truck attack — 14 dead

On Wednesday, a terror attack occurred in New Orleans, resulting in the death of 14 people. The perpetrator, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, drove a white pick-up truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street.

On Wednesday at 3:15 a.m. local time, a 42-year-old U.S. citizen from Texas drove a rented Ford truck into a crowd, injuring more than 30 people. The truck was carrying an ISIS flag, weapons, and a potential IED.

He was subsequently killed in a shootout with police.

Shamsud-Din Jabbar and Bourbon Street aftermath
Shamsud-Din Jabbar, left, and the crime scene, right. (Kat Ramirez and FBI)

3. 2015 San Bernardino shooting — 14 dead

In 2015, a couple named Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik carried out a shooting attack at a San Bernardino County Department of Public Health training event and Christmas party, resulting in the deaths of 14 people and injuries to more than 20 others.

A shootout with police resulted in the deaths of the Muslim couple.

The FBI stated that the couple were "homegrown violent extremists" influenced by foreign terrorist groups, but did not specify if they were inspired by ISIS.

On Facebook, during the shooting, Malik, a Pakistani-born individual residing in the U.S. on a green card, publicly pledged allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

He was killed in a shootout with a SWAT team member.

Syed and Tashfeen
Syed Farook, left, and his wife Tashfeen Malik. (FBI and California Department of Motor Vehicles via AP)

4. 2017 NYC bike path attack — 8 dead

In 2017, Sayfullo Saipov, a native of Uzbekistan, drove a truck into a bike path in New York City, killing eight people.

The worst terrorist attack since 9/11 occurred in New York when a vehicle rammed into a group of people, killing six foreign tourists and injuring thirteen others, including a Belgian woman who lost both her legs.

The truck contained a Black Standard flag, which was one of the flags used by the Islamic prophet Muhammad, as well as a document indicating support for the terrorist group ISIL.

At the time of his conviction, Saipov held a green card. He was subsequently sentenced to 10 life sentences and 260 years in prison.

Saipov mugshot inset over crime scene
Uzbekistan native Sayfullo Saipov killed eight people by driving a truck into a bike path full of cyclists and runners in New York City in 2017. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, Inset: St. Charles County, Mo., Department of Corrections)

5. 2016 Ohio State University attack — 11 injured

In November 2016, Abdul Razak Ali Artan, a Somali student at Ohio State University, drove a car into a crowd and then stabbed several pedestrians with a butcher knife.

Before Artan was shot and killed by a university police officer, 11 people were injured in the attack.

At the time, Planet Chronicle reported that law enforcement officials believed the attacker was "radicalized" by ISIS propaganda.

Officials stated that Artan, the Somali-born Ohio State University student who carried out the deadly attack on campus, praised American-born al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki as a "hero" and criticized U.S. interference in Muslim lands in a series of Facebook posts.

6. 2017 New York City subway bomber — 3 injured

In 2017, a pipe bomb partially exploded in New York City's busiest subway station, causing damage, due to the actions of an ISIS-inspired individual named Akayed Ullah.

The pedestrian tunnel between Times Square and Port Authority in Manhattan is targeted by the device.

Akayed Ullah
Akayed Ullah has been convicted of terrorism charges for setting off a pipe bomb in New York City's busiest subway station. Federal prosecutors are seeking a life sentence for Ullah, a Bangladeshi immigrant. (AP/New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission)

Ullah was arrested after his bomb failed to fully explode, leaving him with serious burns. Despite the blast spreading panic, it only caused minor injuries to three people near him.

In federal court in Manhattan, prosecutors argued that Ullah became obsessed with Islamic State propaganda promoting violent attacks on Americans after becoming enraged with American foreign policy in the Middle East.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

by Michael Dorgan

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