A propaganda arm of the Islamic State group is calling the man charged in the New York City truck rampage a "soldier of the caliphate."
A message in an Islamic State weekly newspaper used the term in an item published late on Thursday. That item then was translated by the SITE Intelligence Group.
The Islamic State group has an interest in taking credit for attacks carried out by individuals who are self-radicalised. Orlando nightclub gunman Omar Mateen said he acted on behalf of the group, which claimed him as a "soldier of the caliphate," but there is no evidence he was in contact with the group.
Police say truck attack suspect Sayfullo Saipov drove his speeding truck onto a bike path on Tuesday, killing eight people and injuring 12.
