Hellbent

IS flag and IED found in terror vehicle | Deadly explosion at Trump Vegas hotel

- CHRISTOPHER BUCKTIN

CROWDED streets filled with music, laughter and joy became a scene of blood and horror in the blink of an eye as a crazed driver ploughed into New Year revellers.

A terror suspect named last night as Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar left at least 10 people dead and more than 35 injured when he launched his merciless pick-up truck attack in Bourbon Street, New Orleans.

The rampage was followed by a truck explosion outside the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas. The driver was killed and seven others hurt in that horror. Police are probing whether the two attacks are linked.

Witnesses told how bodies were strewn across the busy Bourbon Street after happy celebrations were plunged into chaos and carnage at around 3.15am yesterday.

It also emerged metal barriers meant to stop car attacks had not been put up in the city's French Quarter, despite thousands of people flocking to the area to see in 2025.

The FBI claimed Jabbar, 42, a US citizen from Texas, was carrying an Islamic State flag at the time and his motive was terrorism.

Weapons and a possible improvised explosive device were said to have been found in his rented truck, along with other IEDs near the scene.

Bomb squads detonated four suspicious devices in the Bourbon Street area after the rampage.

Jabbar also shot two police officers before he was killed in a hail of bullets.

Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said: "He was hellbent on creating the carnage and damage that he did.

"It involved a man driving a pick-up truck down Bourbon Street at a very fast pace, and it was very intentional behaviour. This man was trying to run over as many people as he could."