Queanbeyan service station fatal stabbing ‘may be related to terror’

UPDATE: The vicious murder of a young service station attendant in Queanbeyan is being treated as a possible terrorist act after the letters “IS” were found scrawled in blood at the scene.

THE vicious murder of a young service station attendant in Queanbeyan is being treated as a possible terrorist act after the letters “IS” were found scrawled in blood at the scene.

Counter-terrorism police are leading the investigation into the death of Zeeshan Akbar, 29, who was stabbed repeatedly just before midnight on Thursday.

Akbar arrived in Australia on a student Visa in 2008 and was on a Skilled Regional Visa at time of his death.

A forensic officer at the window where the message was scrawled. Picture: Kym Smith

Zeeshan Akbar was stabbed to death at the Caltex service station in Queanbeyan.

Mr Akbar, who had moved to Australia from Pakistan a few years ago in search of a better life, wasn’t supposed to be working that night but had taken the shift to earn some extra money to send to his family in Karachi.

His death was one in a series of violent incidents police allege were committed by two teenagers, aged 15 and 16, in the NSW town just outside Canberra.

Police believe two teens were involved in the repeated stabbing of the Caltex service station attendant. Picture: Kym Smith

Police have also learnt the elder teen is alleged to have ranted to his mother about Islamic State and killing a non-believer shortly before he and his accomplice allegedly went on their rampage in NSW and the ACT.

Deputy Police Commissioner Catherine Burn said that there was enough evidence to suspect that one of the boys “may be related to terrorism”.

Stabbing victim Zeeshan Akbar is originally from Pakistan.

The Caltex service station in Queanbeyan, NSW, where Zeeshan Akbar was fatality stabbed. Picture: Kym Smith

Sources told The Saturday Telegraph “IS” was found written in blood on a glass pane at the servo where Mr Akbar was working.

“That information comes from physical evidence at the scene,” Ms Burn said. “We are looking at a number of other incidents involving an attempted robbery at a bottle shop in the ACT, an attack on a homeless man in Queanbeyan and later an attack where a man was stabbed and his vehicle stolen.”

Forensic staff, homicide detectives and local police are all investigating the rampage.

Natania Copp, 29, said she often saw Mr Akbar at the service station. “I saw him at 6pm last night,” Ms Copp said. “He gave me a big smile as he always does and the last thing I said to him was have a good night.”

Former colleague Shani Qureshi, 27, said Akbar was a friendly, kind man.

“I saw him last on Tuesday when we had a shift at the airport together,” he said.

Bags, believed to be evidence, at the murder scene.

Mr Akbar had been in Australia for several years, living in Melbourne before moving to Canberra about a year ago, and was in the process of applying for a permanent residency visa.

Sources said the mother of the 16-year-old said her son was ranting about IS and had posted Facebook entries about the jihadists. But the younger boy’s sister said she didn’t believe any of it.

“I believe it’s a bunch of crap. I know my brother, and he’s like really kind … he wouldn’t do this for someone else,” she told Channel Seven.

The two teenagers allegedly made off with the cash register. Picture: Kym Smith

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was fully briefed on the investigation.

The fact two teens were alleged to be involved was “shocking”, and underlined “concerns” the government had about young Australians being drawn into committing violent acts, he said.