The Al-Qaeda group in the Arabian Peninsula (Aqpa) has claimed responsibility for the shooting perpetrated at the beginning of December in the American military base in Pensacola, in Florida, having killed three sailors, the American center for monitoring SITE Islamists said on Sunday. "In an audio speech by its leader, Qassim al-Rimi, Aqpa claimed responsibility for the attack in December 2019 on the Naval Air Base Pensacola," the center said in a statement.
Identified by the FBI as a second lieutenant in the Saudi Air Force, Mohammed al-Shamrani, 21, opened fire on December 6 with a handgun in a classroom at this base. 'US Navy, leaving three dead and eight injured before being shot by the police. Before his attack, he posted hostile messages to the United States on Twitter, according to SITE. "I am against evil, and America as a whole has turned into a nation of evil," wrote the attacker. "I am not against you just because you are Americans, I do not hate you because of your freedoms, I hate you because every day you support, finance and commit crimes not only against Muslims but also against humanity, "he added to the account which has since been suspended.
Embarrassed ryad
Some 850 Saudis, among 5,000 foreign soldiers, undergo training each year within the American armed forces, an illustration of the strong ties which unite Washington and Ryad. The shooting had threatened a program that included billions of dollars in American arms sales to Ryad and embarrassed the Saudi kingdom. In an appeal to President Donald Trump, King Salman condemned an "abominable" crime and assured that the shooter did not represent his people.
Following the shooting, Washington announced the return of 21 Saudi military personnel in training to the United States, as part of the investigation into the shooting, which established that the soldiers had published "offensive content", "jihadist or anti-American "on social networks, or had" pedophile "content. Federal police, however, found "no evidence of collaboration or prior knowledge of the attack" by other military personnel training in the United States.
The Naval Air Base Pensacola (southeast), where about 16,000 soldiers are stationed, is used by the US Navy for training programs for soldiers from Allied countries. Relations between Washington and Ryad had suffered a serious setback after the September 11, 2001 attacks: 15 of the 19 pilots who hijacked planes and killed some 3,000 people were Saudis.
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- Terrorist attack
- World
- United States
- Al Qaeda
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- AQAP