Australian police said on April 16 that the knife attack on the bishop of the Assyrian church in Sydney was a suspected terrorist act due to the influence of extremism. This is the second stabbing incident in a crowd within 3 days in Sydney.
At least four people were injured in the attack, including Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel of the assyrian Church of Christ The Good Shepherd, when a man lunged at him with a knife during a livestreamed service on April 15.
The incident happened in Wakeley, a western suburb of Sydney. Police arrested a teenage boy at the scene and forcibly detained him at the church for his own safety. This led to clashes outside the church between police and a crowd of worshipers demanding that the attacker be handed over to them.
New South Wales State Police Commissioner Karen Webb said that after reviewing all documents, the authorities believe this is a terrorist incident. The suspect brought a knife to the church, which was far from his home. According to initial investigation, the attacker acted alone.
Emergency crews cared for about 30 people after the clash outside the church and seven people were taken to hospital with injuries. Mr. Karen Webb said several police officers were also hospitalized due to injuries and 20 police vehicles were damaged.
This is the second major knife attack in just three days in Australia’s most populous city after six people were killed and 12 injured in a knife attack at a beachside shopping center in the area. Bondi on April 13.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said there is no place in Australia for BL extremism “We are a peace-loving nation. This is a time to unite, not divide, as a community and a nation,” said Mr. Anthony Albanese.
Bishop Emmanuel’s livestreamed sermons attract a global audience and his video clips attract hundreds of thousands of views online. A sermon uploaded to YouTube last year showed the bishop criticizing Islam.
