The Australian city of Melbourne has been hit by a vehicle ramming attack, injuring 19 people. Earlier this morning, a 32-year-old Afghan immigrant drove a car into pedestrians in a deliberate act near the famous Flinders Street station.

“Christmas carnage in city’s heart,” reported the newspaper The Australian about the attack. “Nineteen people were in hospital last night after a car ploughed into a busy pedestrian crossing in downtown Melbourne,” the newspaper added.

According to the Melbourne Police, the attacker was arrested “after a struggle at the scene of the incident,” the BBC confirmed.

A second suspect was detained after reportedly filming the incident and discovered to be carrying a “bag of knives.” Authorities determined he had no connection to the attack and he was released.

Vehicle ramming attacks combined with stabbing sprees are hallmark of Islamic State terror tactic against Western targets. But even though the attacker employed a mode of operation identical to that of an ISIS terrorist, the Australian authorities have refused to treat the incident as a terror attack, citing the driver’s “history of mental health issues and drug use.”

Sky News Australia reported:

Melbourne is once again reeling from what appears to be a deliberate targeting of pedestrians in the CBD. Dozens of people were hit by a vehicle that ran a red light on the corner of Flinders and Swanson Street.

A white SUV collided with pedestrians on Flinders Street just after 4.30 on Thursday afternoon.

A young girl is among the 19 injured as four people remain in a critical condition after being mowed down by the car.

A young child is being treated at the Royal Children's Hospital for a head injury and is now stable.

The driver was arrested at the scene, with police saying he has a history of mental illness and ice addiction

As TruthRevolt reported last month, Australia’s intelligence agencies are treating Christmas as the ‘peak terror season.’ We reported how the authorities in the city of Melbourne were bracing for this very scenario by placing “bollards around the city center against vehicle-ramming attacks.”

Australia’s largest city Sydney suffered an Islamist terror attack during the Christmas season three years ago, when an armed Jihadi attacked a café, killing two hostages during a siege. Australian police and intelligence agencies have foiled at least 14 terror attacks since 2014.