'We are heartbroken': Terrorist's family speaks out

The family of Ahamed Aathil Mohamed Samsudeen, the terrorist behind Friday's attack at an Auckland Countdown, has spoken out, condemning his actions. 

A suppression order  lapsed late on Saturday allowing the terrorist's name and immigration status to be made public. 

In a statement the terrorist's brother Aroos said the family were incredibly shaken by the attack, sharing a message of support for the victims injured. 

"We wish to begin saying that our family would like to send our love and support to those who were hurt in the horrible act."  

Seven people were injured in the stabbings, three of whom are in critical condition.

"We hope to find out with you all, what happened in Aathil's case and what we all could have done to prevent this, Aroos said.

"We are heartbroken after this terrible event".

He said the terrorist suffered from mental health problems that had worsened in the decade he spent in New Zealand.

The 32-year-old arrived in the country on a student visa from Sri Lanka, he later obtained refugee status.

However, Immigration New Zealand had been trying for years to deport him before the attack occurred. 

"He spent a lot of his time in prison and was always struggling with some court cases.

"When we heard that he was in prison in New Zealand, we thought it would do him some good but didn't realise he would spend so much time there." 

Aroos said the time in prison was hard on his brother and that he'd told the family he had been assaulted there. 

He also stressed the family was concerned about the terrorist's behaviour online, which had come to the attention of police and the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service in 2016.

"Aathil did spend a lot of time online, and that was a problem we saw. He wanted to impress his friends from Sri Lanka on Facebook. 

Some of their family members travelled to New Zealand to visit him in 2013. 

"We love your country and your people and we know from what we have seen since the Christchurch attack that you are good people. We want to stand with you."

Aroos added that their father, who is ill, still didn't know about what had happened. 

"Aathil always contradicted what he was told. He would hang up the phone on us when we told him to forget about all of the issues he was obsessed with. 

"Then he would call us back again himself when he realised he was wrong. Aathil was wrong again yesterday," he said.

"We are thinking of you all. We are thinking of our parents. We are thinking of the boy who left us and the innocent people were injured."

Meanwhile the terrorist's mother has accused his neighbours in New Zealand of radicalising him. 

Ismail Fareeda told a local television network that her son, who injured seven people, was "brainwashed" by people from the Middle East. 

According to the South China Morning Post, she claims the neighbours took advantage while caring for him in 2016 after he was injured in a fall.

"Those neighbours from Syria and Iraq are the ones who brainwashed him."

She said the terrorist first began posting extremist views after he met his neighbours in New Zealand. 

"We knew there was a change in him. The change came after he left the country." 

That year, the terrorist came to the attention of police and the New Zealand Security Intelligence service due to what he was posting online.