(New York, NY) – The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) today released the following statement in response to a vehicular attack in downtown Stockholm, Sweden, and a new resource on the use of cars and trucks as weapons of terrorism.  

"The Counter Extremism Project strongly condemns today's terror attack in downtown Stockholm, Sweden, that involved a hijacked truck ramming pedestrians at the Ahlens Mall in Stockholm. The depravity of using cars and trucks as weapons of terror has become an all-too-familiar tactic, long encouraged and celebrated by groups like ISIS, al-Qaeda, and Hamas. Today’s tragedy challenges us to be even more determined in our fight against the forces of extremism and terrorism. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.”

The recent spate of vehicular attacks is not a new phenomenon. Attacks using vehicles were carried out beginning in 2006 in London, Quebec, Dijon, Nantes, Jerusalem, and North Carolina and terror groups like al-Qaeda, ISIS, and Hamas have called for or claimed responsibility for them. Al-Qaeda’s second issue of Inspire magazine, in October 2010, contained an article urging vehicular attacks and referring to a pickup truck as a potential “mowing machine” that can be used to “mow down the enemies of Allah.”

ISIS spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani issued a call to kill non-believers using any means at their disposal and French ISIS fighter Abu Salman al-Faranci appeared in an ISIS video calling for followers to carry out attacks: “Terrorize them and do not allow them to sleep due to fear and horror. There are weapons and cars available and targets ready to be hit. Even poison is available…”

To explore CEP’s new resource, Cars and Trucks as Weapons of Terror, please click here.