Nice attacks: Isis supporters flood Twitter hashtags used by people mourning massacre

Isis still has not claimed responsibility for the attack, but many official accounts are celebrating it

Andrew Griffin
Friday 15 July 2016 04:22 EDT
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(AP)

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Isis Twitter accounts are flooding hashtags used by people mourning the deadly attacks in Nice and celebrating them.

More than 80 people died when a man drove a truck through a huge crowd of people celebrating Bastille Day, in Nice.

Hundreds of thousands of people posted updates on Twitter using hasthtags like "Pray For Nice" and "Nice06". But Isis accounts advised their supporters to use the same hashtags, flooding them with propaganda.

The French police have said that the attack is being treated as an act of terrorism. But neither Isis or any other terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and the former tends not to for some hours or even days after it has happened.

What happened in Nice: 84 killed as lorry drives through crowd

Almost immediately after the attack became public, users took to twitter and other networks to celebrate the deaths.

““Oh France, you and the all Europe will never be secure until we will live secure on every inch in the land of the Caliphate,” wrote one user.

“This is the beginning of the attack to take the holy revenge for the killing of Abu Omar Shishani, may Allah accept him,” another said on an Isis forum.

Kilafa News, which is considered by some to be an official Isis channel, sent out a post noting the most popular hashtags such as #PrayForNice and encouraging supporters to flood them with propaganda.

“To all #IslamicState supporters we ask you to participate in these following hashtags, to show the world the truth about the war on the Islamic state and how they brought this to themselves,” the message read. “Use any Islamic state material and reveal the truth for the world”.

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