– We will not give in to terrorism, said French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne on the night of Sunday.
The attack took place at 8pm on Saturday evening around the Quai de Grenelle on the Seine, near the Eiffel Tower.
Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin wrote on X formerly Twitter, at 10.26pm on Saturday evening that it was random passers-by who were attacked.
First, a German tourist was attacked with a knife, stabbed in the back and shoulder and killed. The perpetrator then disappeared from the scene, across a bridge to the other side of the river, where two were injured.
A British tourist was injured by a hammer blow to the eye, the newspaper writes The Parisian. The other injured person escaped with shock injuries.
The Minister of the Interior visited the crime scene on Sunday night.
– A German tourist born in the Philippines died from the stabbing, said Darmanin.
French police worked through the night to Sunday with investigations at the scene.
Photo: DIMITAR DILKOFF / AFP
Radical Islamism
The alleged perpetrator was arrested shortly after the attack. Just before the arrest, he shouted “Allahu akbar” (“God is greatest”), according to a police source spoken to by the AFP news agency.
Le Parisien is also informed of this. The man shouted this as he threatened the police with the hammer during the arrest, the newspaper writes. The police used electric shock weapons twice against the man. Darmanin says that the arrested person will be produced for custody soon.
The arrested man was born in 1997 in France and is a French citizen, according to the police source, who also says that the man has mental disorders and is known for radical Islamism. The man is of Iranian origin, writes Le Parisien.
One man was killed and two others injured in the attack which took place in central Paris.
Photo: DIMITAR DILKOFF / AFP
The police source further informs AFP that the arrested person said that he cannot stand that Muslims are being killed around the world. The Minister of the Interior says the arrested person stated that he could not bear to see Muslims being killed in Afghanistan and in the Palestinian territories.
The man does not like what is happening in the Gaza Strip, believes that France conspired with Israel in the war, and wanted to die as a martyr, says Darmanin.
Earlier Saturday, a pro-Palestinian demonstration was organized in Paris.
The knife attack happened in Paris on Saturday night. Earlier in the day, a pro-Palestinian demonstration was held in the city.
Photo: Thomas Padilla / AP
Previously convicted
The arrested man was sentenced to four years in prison in 2016 for planning another attack, says Darmanin. He was then arrested by the security service before he could carry out the attack, adds Darmanin.
Since his release in 2020, the man has lived at home with his parents in Essonne, the Minister of the Interior states. Essonne is just south of Paris.
According to a nearly two-minute long video recording posted online, the man swore allegiance to IS before Saturday’s attack. In the recording, he claimed that he would act to “avenge Muslims”.
On the night of Sunday, French anti-terrorist prosecutors announced that they will investigate the attack.
There are less than eight months left until France and Paris will host the Summer Olympics. The attack on Saturday could lead to questions about the security of the upcoming event, writes Reuters.
The plan is to hold a large-scale opening ceremony at the Seine where up to 600,000 people can be present.
2023-12-03 00:56:08
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