New Orleans attack news: PM Narendra Modi condemns 'cowardly terrorist attack'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday condemned a terrorist attack in New Orleans in which at least 15 people lost their lives.

“We strongly condemn the cowardly terrorist attack in New Orleans. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families,” said Modi.

The Prime Minister further added, "May they find strength and solace as they heal from this tragedy."

On Wednesday, an army veteran who was "hellbent" on carnage, drove a pickup truck with an Islamic State flag into a crowd of New Year's revelers on festive Bourbon Street in famed French Quarter, killing 15 people and injuring 30 others.

The attacker was identified as Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a 42-year-old US citizen from Texas who severed as an IT specialist in the military. He was killed by police after he exited the truck and opened fire on responding officers.

The FBI said it is investigating the attack as an act of terrorism and it does not believe the driver acted alone.

Despicable, says US President

Describing the attack as "despicable," US President Joe Biden said Jabbar had posted videos online hours before "indicating that he was inspired by ISIS."

The law enforcement agencies were probing any possible links between the attack and an explosion later on Wednesday of a Tesla Cybertruck outside a hotel owned by US President-elect Donald Trump in Las Vegas that killed one person, though he cautioned that none had been found so far, said the President.

'Deeply saddened': Pope

Along with several world leaders, Pope Francis too expressed condolences to the archbishop of New Orleans over the attack in the US city.

"His holiness Pope Francis was deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the attack," wrote the Vatican's secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, to Archbishop Gregory Aymond, adding that the pope "prays for the healing and consolation of the injured and bereaved".