NSW Police Commissioner declares stabbing of Christian Bishop as terrorist motivated attack

The NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb has declared that the stabbing yesterday of Christian Orthodox Assyrian Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel  was a terrorist motivated attack.

"At 1:35am this morning, after consideration of all the material, I declared that it was a terrorist incident. It is crucial that New South Wales police are able to devote their resources and intelligence as well as officers to the investigation of this crime." said Commissioner Webb.

The Commissioner made the statement during a press conference with New South Wales premier Chris Minns who confirmed police authorities are treating the stabbing incident in Wakeley overnight as a “terrorist act”.

Minns said “this is a major and serious criminal investigation.”

The attack happened on Monday night just after 7 pm at Wakeley’s Christ The Good Shepherd Church, where Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was performing Mass.

In a livestream of the liturgy Bishop Emmanuel can be seen speaking to the congregation before a man walks up to him and allegedly stabs him a number of times.

The young man dressed in all black can be seen approaching the altar where Bishop Emmanuel was standing before allegedly stabbing his face and body before people tried to stop him.