Although, the Islamic State has not yet claimed responsibility for the Bastille Day attack which claimed over 84 lives in France's Nice city, the manner that it was conducted seems to be in keeping with the diktat from ISIS spokesperson Abu Mohammed al-Adnani.
In September 2014, the ISIS spokesman has specifically mentioned vehicular attacks as a modus operandi to strike at ‘disbelieving’ Westerners.
The method of this attack harkened to a speech given by al-Adnani wherein he’d called on ISIS supporters to use vehicles to commit terror attacks, if they didn’t have access to conventional weaponry.
“If you are not able to find an IED or a bullet, then single out the disbelieving American, Frenchman or any of their allies,” he said in one of his first speeches, according to a translation from the SITE Intelligence Group.
“Smash his head with a rock, or slaughter him with a knife, or run him over with your car, or throw him down from a high place, or choke him, or poison him,” he’d said in his speech.
“If you can kill a disbelieving American or European -- especially the spiteful and filthy French -- or an Australian, or a Canadian, or any other disbeliever from the disbelievers waging war, including the citizens of the countries that entered into a coalition against the Islamic State, then rely upon Allah, and kill him in any manner or way, however it may be,” Adnani had said.
At least 10 children are among the dead in Nice following the attack carried out by 31-year-old Mohamed Bouhlel.
Reports indicate that the truck driver was purposefully aiming the vehicle at the crowd and "zigzagging" so that he could hit as many people as possible.
ISIS and attacks inspired by the group have carried out several deadly attacks worldwide since al-Adnani made the pronouncement. Yet no one had, as yet, followed al-Adnani’s instructions suggesting a vehicle itself as a weapon on a scale approaching the death toll in Nice.
