The Islamic State group on Saturday said that a married couple who murdered 14 people in California in an attack the FBI is investigating as an “act of terrorism” were followers of the terrorist organization.
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The Islamic State group’s official radio station has aired a statement saying the mass shooting in California was carried out by two “supporters” of the extremist group.
The husband and wife were killed in a furious shootout with police hours after they opened fire on a gathering of Farook’s colleagues from the San Bernardino County public health department, where he worked as a restaurant inspector.
But family members, in various interviews and through a family attorney, said they had not seen any evidence the US born Farook, or his Pakistani wife, had been “radicalized”.
The massacre, if proven to be terror-related, would be the deadliest such assault on American soil since the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Even as investigators attempt to get more details about Malik’s personal life, the Islamic State group described the couple as “followers” of the organization.
On Friday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said it is beginning to investigate the shooting as an “act of terrorism” as it was revealed Malik had pledged allegiance to Isis in a now-deleted Facebook post.
Between 2012 and 2014, Farook would come to the mosque twice a day – for the morning prayers, as early as 4:30 a.m. and evening prayers after work – said the mosque’s director, Mustafa Kuko, and asked for his blessing before going to Saudi Arabia to marry Malik. However, the group, also known as ISIS, did not say if it had ordered the attack in San Bernardino. Neighbor Phyllis Hoops, 80, said she often saw the Farook family taking a walk together in the evenings.
Abdul-Jalil said he met Malik once, but did not speak with her beyond exchanging pleasantries.
But her path from there to the bloody events of last week – when she and her husband slaughtered 14 people in a commando-style rampage – remains a mystery. “We are from a land of Sufi saints… this is very shocking for us”, said school teacher Hifza Bibi, the step-sister of Malik’s father, who lives in Karor Lal Esan town in central Punjab province.
Still, federal authorities told ABC News they are investigating whether Farook may have left behind social media connections with one of the most active and significant ISIS recruiters, an American from Minneapolis now an FBI fugitive living overseas by the name of Mohamed Hasan who uses the on-line handle Miski.
Trump said the government needs to better monitor the families of suspected terrorists. Did they have direct ties with the Islamic State or other global terrorists, acting as part of an elaborate conspiracy, or were they a freelance operation drawing only inspiration from overseas?…
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Authorities discovered a huge arsenal of guns, ammunition and pipe-bombs in the couple’s home, suggesting they had been planning additional attacks.
