On 23 September 2014, 18-year-old Abdul Numan Haider attacked two counter-terrorism police officers with a knife outside the Victoria Police Endeavour Hills station located in Endeavour Hills, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He was then shot dead.[1]
| 2014 Endeavour Hills stabbings | |
|---|---|
 Haider's Facebook profile picture four days before the stabbings | |
| Location | Outside Endeavour Hills police station |
| Coordinates | 37°58′33″S 145°15′43″E / 37.975927°S 145.261833°E |
| Date | 23 September 2014 7:45 p.m. (AEST, UTC 10:00) |
| Target | Australian counter-terrorism police officers |
Attack type | Stabbing attack |
| Weapons | Two knives |
| Deaths | 1 (the perpetrator) |
| Injured | 2 |
| Perpetrators | Abdul Numan Haider |
| Motive | Sunni Islamic fundamentalism |
Perpetrator
editHaider lived in Narre Warren, Victoria, and was of Afghan descent. He began attending lectures at the fundamentalist Al-Furqan mosque. He was also believed to be connected to prominent Islamic State recruits Neil Prakash and Sevdet Besim.[2][3]
Haider was one of between 40 and 50 Australian citizens who had had their passports cancelled due to fears that they would join the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.[1]
The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) had been monitoring his rapid radicalisation, which took place during a period of only a few months, but had not judged him dangerous.[4]
Attack
editHaider is reported to have gone to the police station to discuss his cancelled passport. Two police officers from the Joint Counter-Terrorism Team (JCTT), one from Victoria Police and the other from the Australian Federal Police (AFP), approached him in the car park. Haider produced a knife and slashed the Victorian officer across the arm. He turned on the AFP officer and first stabbed him in the face and chest. When the AFP officer collapsed, Haider climbed on top of him and repeatedly stabbed him. The first officer, who had been slashed across the arm, ordered Haider to drop the weapon, then shot him fatally in the head.[5]
Haider was carrying two knives and the Black Standard flag.[6]
Reaction
editAustralian Prime Minister Tony Abbott, whom Haider had allegedly threatened during the stabbing, stated, "Obviously this indicates that there are people in our community who are capable of very extreme acts. It also indicates that the police will be constantly vigilant to protect us against people who will do Australians harm."[1]
Three days before the attack, ISIL propagandist Abu Mohammad al-Adnani gave a speech calling for ISIL sympathisers to attack countries including Australia. Professor Greg Barton of Melbourne's Monash University Global Terrorism Research Centre stated his opinion that the attack was not inspired by the message. He called for community engagement to prevent attacks from people suspected of terrorism.[1]
Victoria's police commissioner stated that bag searches would mean longer queuing for the 2014 AFL Grand Final at Melbourne Cricket Ground on 27 September.[7]
The Age newspaper put a photograph of an innocent man, Abu Bakar Alam, on the front page, mistakenly identifying him as the perpetrator of the attack. As part of the settlement the newspaper donated $20,000 towards building a mosque in Doveton, Victoria.[8]
An inquest into Haider's death began on 7 March 2016.[2]
In 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump listed this stabbing as an example of an "under-reported" terrorist attack.[9]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d Neubauer, Ian Lloyd (24 September 2014). "A Teenage Terrorism Suspect Is Shot Dead in Australia After Attacking Police". TIME. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
- ^ a b "An inquest into Numan Haider’s death begins today", news.com.au, 7 March 2016; retrieved 25 March 2016.
- ^ Alcorn, Gary (24 September 2014). "Abdul Numan Haider was quiet, gentle and softly spoken, friend says". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
- ^ Davey, Melissa (24 March 2016). "Rapid radicalisation: the case of Numan Haider shocks family and experts alike". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
- ^ Lillebuen, Steve (4 October 2014). "Teen terror suspect Numan Haider ignored police warning". smh.com.au. Retrieved 4 October 2014.
- ^ Silvester, John. "Melbourne terror shooting: Numan Haider 'planned to behead Victoria Police officers, drape bodies in IS flag'". Sydney Morning Herald. No. 24 September 2014. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
- ^ Cook, Henrietta (24 September 2014). "Police to step up security at AFL grand final after terror suspect's death in Endeavour Hills". The Age. Retrieved 24 September 2014.
- ^ Trounson, Andrew (3 March 2015). "Age sorry to victim of snap slip". The Australian.
- ^ "Donald Trump: Five Australian incidents in White House list of under-reported 'terrorist attacks'". ABC. 7 February 2017. Retrieved 27 April 2017.
