A FORMER army chief who commanded the New Orleans suspected ISIS terrorist in Afghanistan has revealed he was a “great soldier”.
Cops identified the suspect as US Army veteran Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, 42 who was dispatched to Afghanistan in 2009.
Jabbar served in the US Army and was on active duty between 2006 to 2015 where he worked as a human resource and IT specialist.
He then served in the Army Reserves from 2015 to 2020.
According to NBC, he was a staff sergeant when he left with an honourable discharge in 2020.
Former army commander Rich Groen who led Jabbar during his posting in Afghanistan said he was a “professional soldier”.
He wrote on X/Twitter: “Shamsud-Din Jabbar served under my Troop Command during our deployment to Afghanistan.
A remarkable Soldier, known for his discipline and dedication, he diligently carried out his duties in the S1 shop and as a mail clerk. He took care of the small but crucial tasks that helped keep everyone connected to their loved ones back home.
Mr Groen said he was left in “utter disbelief” following the tragic attack in New Orleans that killed 15 people and left dozens of others injured.
It is truly devastating and unimaginable to come to terms with the fact that someone who exemplified professionalism could harbor such intense hatred, resulting in unfathomable acts of violence,” a spokesperson expressed.
“As I process the devastating events that unfolded in New Orleans, I am in utter disbelief,” the former army boss added.
Chilling footage shows the driver swerving around barricades set up to stop cars from passing before speeding up and smashing into dozens of people.
Cops believe Jabbar intentionally rammed revellers with the white pickup as he was trying to “run over as many people as he possibly could”.
New Orleans police superintendent, Anne Kirkpatrick, later said the man was “hellbent on creating carnage”.
She added that the gunman drove the truck “at a very fast pace”.
“This is not just an act of terrorism. This is evil,” she added.
After the initial deadly rampage, the suspect is believed to have crashed into a separate car before jumping out of the truck.
Wearing full body armour Jabbar then allegedly opened fire with an assault rifle.
He killed at least 14 victims with many others being left struggling on the ground after being caught up in the devastating attack.
Within minutes of cops first being told of the potential terror attack officers swarmed the area.
A firefight then broke out between the suspect and cops before the man was shot dead as three separate officers are said to have hit him.
The truck was searched by officers who uncovered pipe bombs concealed within coolers.
They were wired for remote detonation, a state police intelligence bulletin found by AP said.
Two other bombs were also found in the French Quarter, local media reports
The remote that controlled two of the weapons had also been found with the suspect’s belongings along with two mason jars filled with explosives.
‘Radicalized brother’
Meanwhile, a chilling series of videos made by the suspected New Orleans truck driver has now been uncovered.
Allegedly, the army veteran recorded multiple brief videos while driving around late at night, discussing plans to join ISIS and commit unspeakable acts against his own family members.
Jabbar’s brother Abdur who lives in Texas blamed “radicalization” for the deadly rampage.
Abdur told The New York Times that his brother converted to Islam at a very young age, but added that his actions “did not represent Islam”.
“This is more some type of radicalization, not religion,” he said.
Jabbar was “being all crazy”, the new husband of his ex-wife said, the New York Times reports.
The suspect also had two daughters who have been left a “mess” after the attack.
Who was Shamsud Din Jabbar?
THE man police suspect drove his car into a crowd of New Year’s Eve revellers in New Orleans was 42-year-old Shamsud Din Jabbar.
He is believed to have killed 15 people in what authorities are investigating as a terrorist attack before cops shot him dead.
More details are emerging about the US Army veteran who was born and lived in Texas.
Jabbar had a criminal history after being arrested in Katy, Texas, in 2002 for misdemeanour theft.
He was also arrested in 2005 for driving without an invalid license.
Documents viewed by The U.S. Sun confirmed Jabbar held a real estate license from 2019 until it expired in February 2021.
In a YouTube video uploaded on May 12, 2020, Jabbar introduced himself as a Team Lead for the Midas Group and Property Manager at Blue Meadow Properties.
He shared that he was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas, but was living in Houston at the time of the video.
During his 10-year stint in the Army, Jabbar said he served as a human resources specialist and IT specialist from 2007 to 2015.
He was deployed to Afghanistan from 2009 to 2010.
Between 2015 and 2020 he served in the Army Reserve as an IT specialist, the Army said.
Jabbar is a dad to two daughters and had two previous wives.
It’s unclear when his second divorce happened, but court files show that a restraining order was granted against him in 2020.
The New York Times reported a court document that the suspect filed in August 2022 as part of a divorce proceeding said he worked at the accounting firm Deloitte and made about $120,000 a year.
An ISIS flag was found in the truck by cops following the attack after it had been attached to a pole on the truck’s trailer hitch, the FBI said.
Jabbar had only converted to Islam within the last year and was “being all crazy” the new husband of his ex-wife said, the New York Times reports.
