Edmonton Ramming and Knife Attack – Security Risks

• A vehicle and knife attack occurred in the Canadian city of Edmonton on the evening of 30 September.
• Five individuals were struck by vehicles. The first victim, a police officer, was then stabbed. None were killed.
• An Islamic State flag was found in the attacker’s vehicle but terror charges are yet to be brought in this case.

Terrorism: Five people have been injured after an individual struck pedestrians and a police officer with two vehicles in separate but related incidents in Edmonton, Canada. The attack began at 20:15 local time on 30 September 2017, when the suspect crashed a Chevrolet sedan into a police barricade in the vicinity of an event at the Commonwealth Stadium. The car struck an officer and trapped him against another vehicle. The suspect then exited his car and proceeded to stab the officer before fleeing the scene on foot. At approximately 23:30, a rental lorry was stopped for suspected impaired driving. After giving his name, which matched the suspect for the attack on the police officer, the suspect fled in the stolen vehicle towards Jasper Avenue and struck four pedestrians during the pursuit.

The police arrested the suspect after the truck rolled during the chase and further investigations into his possible radicalisation and planning process are ongoing. The incident in Edmonton occurred only days after the Islamic State (IS) released a video online where IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi urged his followers to strike their enemies in the West.

If this incident is subsequently classed as a terror attack, it will mark the first in Canada since the Quebec mosque shooting in January 2017 where a lone gunman, motivated by anti-Islamic sentiment, killed six and wounded 19 during evening prayers. The relative simplicity of the attack and the chronological proximity to al-Baghdadi’s most recent incitement is strongly suggestive of a lone wolf attack with limited planning or support from the wider Islamic State. There remains a possibility that the attacker was provided with moral support and guidance by fellow radicals within Canada and that these radicals could launch further attacks. However, authorities presently believe that the suspect acted alone; he had previously been investigated in relation to his 2015 asylum application, however there was insufficient evidence at the time to progress with the investigation. These previous contacts with security forces may have led to sufficient underlying resentment, in combination with the latest exhortation from al-Baghdadi, to trigger the attack against security forces and the civilian population.