The Emirati woman arrested on suspicion of killing a kindergarten teacher and planting a nail bomb outside the home of a doctor last week acted alone and has no links to terrorist organisations, according to an official security source.
The brutal murder of American nursery school teacher Ibolya Ryan in the ladies toilets of the Boutik Mall on Reem Island, Abu Dhabi, was “a personal terrorist act”, reported Wam, the state news agency, quoting the security source.
The suspect is believed to be an Emirati woman in her late thirties. She was arrested by Abu Dhabi Police less than 48 hours after the murder of Ryan. Police were also able to defuse a home-made bomb the suspect left outside the home of Egyptian-American doctor, M H H.
The source said that nothing so far suggests that the accused has links with terrorist organisations or political parties that could be blamed to having incited her to commit the crime, reported Wam.
“The investigations show that the accused has recently logged into some terrorist websites through which she acquired the terrorism ideology and learnt how to manufacture explosives. After scrutiny, the seized materials used in manufacturing were shown to be primitive,” the source said.
The source said investigations had shown that the suspect had not intentionally set out to kill any American or any other nationality, but was looking simply for anyone who looked foreign in terms of language and colour.
“She selected her victims randomly”, the source said.
The statement was released as a vigil was held for Ryan on Kite Beach in Jumeirah, Dubai, where residents gathered to remember the nursery teacher and show support to the victim’s family.
Nancy Ray, who has no connection to the victim, felt it was her duty to go to the vigil and show solidarity as a fellow American.
“When I found out about the vigil, I thought to myself that I must go. As a mum I cannot imagine what her children are going though, what they’ll go through forever, and how horrible it is for the family,” she said.
“This is a very safe country, but anything can happen anywhere. There are bad people all over the world, and that’s what’s so sad.”
“You look at the children and you see their faces and you have to tell them that there are bad people, and there are in all walks of life.”
German expat Khaled Martin, who has been living in Dubai for five years, said the attack was “an unfortunate mishap” but that he still believed the UAE was a safe place to live.
“I was extremely moved by this, and it’s a terrible loss for the children,” he said. “This country is and will stay very secure. Something like this can happen in my home country.
“The swift actions of the country’s security to find the suspect was so incredible. It shows how effective the law enforcement is here, and I feel 100 per cent safe. I am glad to live in this country, and raise my children here.”
Ahmed Al Marry, 24, an Emirati university student, said that he felt it was important to show his solidarity and support to the victim’s family.
“I came to the vigil because what happened to this woman was really wrong. Something like this doesn’t happen in our country, in fact, this is the first time I hear of such a cruel act happening here,” he said.
“As an Emirati, I wanted to show my support because this is something that happened in my country, and it does not matter what nationality the victim is.”
dmoukhallati@thenational.ae
