HOME HILL, AUSTRALIA — A backpacking trip went horribly wrong when a British woman was stabbed to death by a French national in Australia on Tuesday night. <br /> <br />Mia Ayliffe-Chung, 21, was killed by Samil Ayad, 29, at a hostel in Home Hill in northern Queensland at about 11:15 p.m. As many as 30 backpackers saw the attack and some tried to stop it, but Ayad stabbed a hostel employee in the leg and severely wounded British backpacker Tom Watson. <br /> <br />The Townsville Bulletin reports Mia met Samil Ayad, a self-proclaimed kickboxing champion, at the hostel. Ayad became obsessed with her. Witnesses say he told others that he and Mia were deeply in love and married. <br /> <br />On the night of the attack, Ayad reportedly learned that Mia had posed for revealing photos in a magazine and did not reciprocate his feelings. <br /> <br />He flew into a rage and stabbed Mia multiple times while shouting “Allahu Akbar.” At least 30 people witnessed the attack and some tried to intervene. Ayad stabbed a hostel employee in the leg and severely wounded a British backpacker named Thomas Jackson. <br /> <br />Ayad was eventually restrained in a group effort by backpackers and the Australian Federal Police. <br /> <br />Australian Federal Police Commander Sharon Cowden said they would be working with their overseas counterparts to determine if the attack was related to terrorism, the Townsville Bulletin reported.
