France’s President Emmanuel Macron has called the beheading of a teacher in a north-western suburb of Paris an “Islamist terrorist attack”.
The teacher of history and geography is said to have shown controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad to his pupils. The attacker was shot dead by police.
President Macron said the as yet unnamed victim was murdered because he “taught freedom of expression”.
“They won’t win… We will act,” the president said from the scene.
The attack occurred on October 15, at about 17:00 local time, near a school. Anti-terror prosecutors are investigating.
The knife-wielding attacker was shot as officers tried to arrest him in the aftermath of the attack. Police have not released any personal details about him, although French media report he was an 18-year-old man of Chechen origin who was born in Moscow.
A trial is currently under way in Paris over a 2015 Islamist assault on the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, which was targeted for publishing the cartoons.
Three weeks ago, a man attacked and wounded two people outside Charlie Hebdo‘s former offices.
A man wielding a large knife attacked the teacher in a street in the town of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine, cutting off his head. A police source said that witnesses had heard the attacker shout “Allahu Akbar”, or “God is Greatest”, the Reuters reported.
The attacker then ran off, but local police alerted by the public were quickly at the scene.
The officers confronted the man in the nearby district of Éragny.
When they shouted at him to give himself up, he is said to have threatened them. The officers shot him and he died a short time later.
The scene is now sealed off, as the investigation continues.
Nine people, including a minor, have been arrested, judicial sources have told French media. They reportedly include relatives of the attacker and parents of a child at the school where the teacher worked.
According to Le Monde newspaper, the victim had been talking in class about freedom of expression in connection with the Muhammad cartoons, which caused uproar among some Muslims when Charlie Hebdo published them.
He had reportedly advised Muslim students to leave the room if they thought they might be offended.
Earlier this month, some Muslim parents complained to the school about the teacher’s decision to use one or more of the cartoons as part of a discussion about the Charlie Hebdo trial, French media report.
Reacting to the attack, Charlie Hebdo tweeted: “Intolerance just reached a new threshold and seems to stop at nothing to impose terror in our country.”
France has seen a wave of Islamist violence since the 2015 attack on Charlie Hebdo that left 12 people dead, including famous cartoonists.
Cherif Chekatt, who attacked Strasbourg’s Christmas market on December 11, has been shot dead by police, France’s interior minister has announced.
A police unit came across Cherif Chekatt in a Strasbourg street and shot him after the suspect opened fire.
Three people have died following the shooting at the Christmas market and several more were seriously injured. Previous reports had said that four people had been killed in the attack.
Cherif Chekatt, 29, had a string of criminal convictions in France and Germany and had become a radical Islamist in jail.
Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said three members of the National Police saw a suspicious individual on rue du Lazaret, in the Neudorf area of Strasbourg at 21:00 local time.
The officers stopped the man, who turned round and fired on the police. Police fired back and “neutralized”the attacker, said Christoph Castaner, who later went to the scene.
Hundreds of French police and security forces had been searching for the gunman.
A large police operation had taken place in Neudorf earlier on December 13, but ended apparently without results.
Five people have been arrested in connection with the attack. They include Cherif Chekatt’s parents and two of his brothers.
Strasbourg mayor Roland Ries said that finding Cherif Chekatt meant the worried people of his city would now be able to return to a normal life.
On December 11, at about 20:00 local time, a man opened fire close to the famed Christmas market near Place Kléber, which attracts thousands of visitors.
France’s anti-terror prosecutor, Rémy Heitz, said the man had shouted
“Allahu Akbar” (“God is greatest”) as he opened fire.
The suspect was armed with a gun and a knife and escaped the area after commandeering a taxi, Rémy Heitz said.
As the attacker fled he came into contact with four soldiers, Rémy Heitz said, and began firing at them. The soldiers fired back, apparently hitting him in the arm.
The gunman boasted to the taxi driver that he had killed 10 people, and also said he had been injured during a firefight with soldiers.
Cherif Chakett ordered the taxi driver to drop him near the police station in Neudorf. When he got out of the vehicle, he fired at police officers before escaping.
Cherif Chekatt was born in Strasbourg and was already known to the security services.
The man was the subject of a “fiche S”, a watch list of people who represent a potential threat to national security.
Cherif Chekatt had 27 convictions for crimes including robbery spanning France, Germany and Switzerland, and had spent considerable time in prison as a result.
On December 11, in the morning, police were seeking him in connection with another case, but did not find him at home.
A search of his apartment in Neudorf revealed a grenade, a rifle, four knives – two of which were hunting knives – and ammunition.
The death of Kamal Naghchband, originally from Afghanistan, was announced on December 13. The father of three died in hospital. His mosque announced that his funeral will take place after Friday prayers.
According to Le Figaro, a retired bank worker aged 61, from Strasbourg, was also killed in the attack.
The third victim is believed to be a Thai tourist who was on holiday with his wife. Anupong Suebsamarn, 45, has been named by Thai media as one of the dead.
More than 80 people, including children, have been killed after a truck slammed through a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in the southern French city of Nice.
The driver ploughed on for 1.2 miles on the Promenade des Anglais at about 23:00 local time on July 14, before being shot dead by police.
Witnesses say the speeding truck swerved and zigzagged in an apparent attempt to hit more people.
Police reportedly found guns and grenades inside the lorry.
France’s President Francois Hollande said the attack was of “an undeniable terrorist nature”.
PM Manuel Valls has declared three days of national mourning for the victims from July 16.
A state of emergency, in place since November’s Paris attacks carried out by ISIS, in which 130 people died, has been extended by three months.
The attack in Nice began shortly after the end of a firework display on the seafront for Bastille Day, which is the country’s national holiday.
Photo AFP
A white truck, the front of which was riddled with bullet holes, continued to be examined by police in Nice on July 15.
A journalist with the Nice Matin newspaper reported from the scene that there was “a lot of blood”.
According to officials, 84 people died in the attack and about 50 people have been injured, 18 of them critically.
Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi has told local media that about 10 children were among those killed.
No group has so far said it was behind the attack; prosecutors said the inquiry would be handled by anti-terror investigators.
According to AFP news agency, the identity papers of a 31-year-old French-Tunisian were found in the truck, citing an unnamed police source.
Local media reports named the man as Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, but his identity has not yet been confirmed.
President Francois Hollande addressed the nation on July 15 saying France had been “badly hit” but was strong, adding “we need to do everything we can to fight against” such attacks.
“All of France is under the threat of Islamic terrorism,” he said.
Francois Hollande added that “operational reserves” would be deployed to support the army and security forces across the country, with particular focus on the borders.
Manuel Valls said later that the goal of terrorists was to “instill fear and panic”.
“But France is a great country and a great democracy that will not allow itself to be destabilized,” he said.
President Barack Obama condemned “in the strongest terms” what he said appeared to be “a horrific terrorist attack in Nice”.
Nice’s jazz festival has been cancelled and the southern city of Marseille has announced it is canceling a fireworks show planned to take place on Friday evening.
This website has updated its privacy policy in compliance with EU GDPR 2016/679. Please read this to review the updates about which personal data we collect on our site. By continuing to use this site, you are agreeing to our updated policy. AcceptRejectRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
