Killing three and injuring at least five on a commuter tram in Utrecht, Netherlands this morning, 37-year-old Turk Gokman Tanis was apprehended by Dutch authorities in an eight-hour manhunt. Tanis fled the scene after gunning down three commuters. Several victims taken to local hospitals remain in critical condition, suggesting the death-toll could rise. Eyewitnesses said Tanis started shooting indiscrimately, “A man started shooting wildly,” said one eyewitness, indicating he was trying kill as many people as possible before fleeing the scene. Dutch authorities suspect terrorism but haven’t yet confirmed a motive. Today’s incident comes just two days after self-avowed white supremacist Brenton Tarrant [nom de guerre] killed 50 March 12 in Christchurch, New Zealand’s Al Noor Mosque. Tarrant ranted in a 74-page manifesto about avenging Islamic terror attacks.
Timing the Utrecht incident suggests a lone-wolf Islamic sympathizer perpetrated the attack, most likely to steal headlines away from the most violent single attack in New Zealand history. I heard people yell: Shooting, shooting,” said a bystander in Utrect, running from the bloody scene. Despite the Netherlands’ tough gun laws that don’t permit ordinary citizens to posses firearms, Dutch authorities have not said whether or not the firearms were purchased legally. Neighboring Belgium have been the subject of terror attacks Three years ago on March 22, 2016, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria [ISIS] terrorists struck sites in Brussels, killing 36, injuring 340 in a series of deadly bombing and shooting attacks. Lashing out at a commuter tram in Utrech sounds reminiscent of a German train hatchet attack in Wursberg, Bavaria, where a hatchet- wielding terrorist injured five.
When Tarrant ranted about revenge on Muslims for perpetrating Islamic terror attacks around the globe, the link between the two events becomes more clear. While there’s probably no direct connection between Tanis and ISIS, there are some connections to mentally disordered lone-wolfs, identifying with ISIS, al-Qaeda or some other Sunni terrorist group before lashing out. Whether Turkish-born Tanis was connected to a terror group or not isn’t known. What’s known for sure is that he opened fire on innocent civilians on a commuter tram. Dutch police had Tanis on a terror watch list before he committed mass violence today on the Utrech commuter train. BBC Turkey said Tanis fought in the Chechnya war, where Islamic terrorists battled for their independence from Russia. How Tanis was scared by his war-related experience in Chechnyna isn’t entirely known.
Dutch authorities confirmed Tanis was arrested for possible ties to ISIS in 2016 and later released without charges. Today’s terrorist act confirms that while ISIS has been defeated on the battlefield most recently in Baghouz, Syria, today’s attack in Utrect proves that it still has a long reach. Knowing that Tanis was on a terrorist watch list speaks volumes about his motives. No one believed that an al-Qaeda terror cell in Boston could result in the Boston Marathon bombings, killing three, injuring 264. Chechen-born Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarmaev exploded remote control bombs April 15, 2013 and the end of the Boston Marathon to protest Muslims killed by Western powers in the Mideast. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said his country is “jolted by an attack,” calling it “deeply disturbing.” Rutte watched many in neighboring Belgium killed by terrorists in 2016.
Today’s attack in Utrect shows that while ISIS loses its last bastion in Syria, the group still has cells in United States and Europe. ”There are many questions and rumors,” Rutte said. “It is unclear what the motives are behind this attack,” suggesting that it might be a random act of gun violence. Rutte knows that Tanis was on the Netherlands’ terrorist watch list, having spent time battling Russia in Chechyna. No one could believe that when the Tsarmaev brothers detonated pressure cooker bombs at the Boston Marathon in 2013 that an active terror cell erupted in New England. Some point to Tanis’ Turkish background to dispute his terrorist ties. But terrorists loyal to extremist groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda come from all over the planet, primarily centering on the Middle East. Rutte needs to look no further than Tanis’ involvement in the Chechyna War for motive.
Countries like Britain, France and Belgium have suffered growing casualties at the hands of radial Islamic terrorists. While Islamic terrorists hide behind the Koran to spread violence and mass murder, they’re part of organized networks of disenfranchised individuals armed to the teeth, ready to strike civilian populations whenever possible. Dutch officials are lucky to get Tanis alive to shed some light on other terrorists currently planning operations in Europe or beyond. Today’s attack on a commuter tram in Utrech shows that terrorists look to any soft target to attack. When ISIS terrorists struck an Ariana Grande concert in Machester, England May 22, 2017 killing 22, injuring 800, it reminded British voters why they voted for Brexit June 23, 2016. Yet the European Union couldn’t fathom why the U.K. wanted to restrict immigration from Islamic countries. Utrecht reminds Europe why the U.K. wants out.
