Tragedy struck near the Eiffel Tower as a knife and hammer attack unfolded on a Parisian street, claiming the life of a German national, injuring two others, and leading to the arrest of a 26-year-old French suspect known to security services.
In a tragic incident on Saturday night, a man lost his life and two others sustained injuries in a knife and hammer attack on Quai de Grenelle, near the iconic Eiffel Tower in central Paris. The assailant, a 26-year-old French national with a history known to security services, was promptly arrested. Anti-terrorism prosecutors have initiated an investigation into the incident, as reported by BBC.
The victim, identified as a 22-year-old German national, was fatally stabbed while accompanying his wife, who miraculously survived thanks to the timely intervention of a vigilant taxi driver. The suspect, uttering "Allahu Akbar," fled across a nearby bridge spanning the River Seine after the initial attack. Subsequently, he assaulted two more individuals, with one sustaining a hammer blow to the eye.
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin revealed that the suspect had a troubled past, having served four years in jail for planning a previous attack in 2016. The assailant was also on the watchlist of French security services and had a history of psychiatric disorders.
During the attack, the suspect expressed grievances about the loss of Muslim lives in Afghanistan and Palestine, as revealed in statements to the police. A video posted on social media prior to the incident featured the suspect criticizing the French government and discussing what he perceived as the unjust targeting of innocent Muslims.
French President Emmanuel Macron, responding to the incident, referred to it as a "terrorist attack" and extended his thoughts to the victims. He expressed gratitude to the emergency services for their swift response and announced that the national anti-terrorist prosecutor's office would investigate the matter to ensure justice for the French people.
This unfortunate event follows closely on the heels of a recent knife attack in the northern city of Arras, where a teacher lost his life, prompting the French government to elevate the country to its highest level of national security alert less than two months ago.