Doubts raised about Islamic State’s claim in Texas attack

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility Tuesday for the assault on a Texas cartoon contest that featured images of the Prophet Muhammad, but counterterrorism experts said IS has a history of asserting involvement in attacks in which it had no operational role.

 

That suggests the two gunmen could have carried out their own lone wolf-style strike before they were shot and killed at the scene of Sunday’s shooting in the Dallas suburb of Garland.

 

Federal officials identified the pair as Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi, both Americans who lived in Phoenix.

 

Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said a Twitter account linked to Simpson included images of Anwar Awlaki, a radical cleric killed in a CIA drone strike in Yemen.

 

Among the hashtags used by the account was “#texasattack.” And one of the final tweets was: “May Allah accept us as mujahideen,” or holy warriors.

 

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