Ireland's security agency countering terrorism and espionage has joined the investigation into a knife attack that left an Irish army chaplain injured on the outskirts of Galway city.
The suspect, identified as a 16-year-old Irish national, was waiting for his victim at the entrance to Renmore Barracks late on Thursday. When Father Paul Murphy, 52, arrived in his vehicle, the youth approached the car and stabbed him through the window.
The chaplain drove on through the gate of the barracks in an attempt to flee the attacker, according to the Irish Times. Guards who witnessed the incident fired several warning shots before tackling the assailant with batons.
Father Murphy survived, and military personnel administered first aid before paramedics transported him to a hospital. As he awaited surgery, he expressed gratitude for everyone’s “prayers, love, and concern,” writing in a social media post that he “will be well.”
“Soldiers on duty responded to the immediate threat with appropriate force to ensure the safety of personnel and secure the area,” the Defence Forces said in a statement, adding that the assailant was handed over to the police.
The Special Detective Unit, which handles terrorism offenses, has questioned the suspect and concluded that he had been “radicalized to an extent” online, according to a source cited by the Irish Times. Authorities are considering a possible “terrorist motivation” behind the attack.
During the assault, the teenager reportedly shouted something about Irish military involvement in Mali, but his exact grievances remain unclear. Around 100 members of the Irish Defence Forces are involved in various peacekeeping roles around the globe, including in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Israel, though only a handful of them have been part of the EU military training mission in Mali, which officially ended earlier this year.