France fatal knife attack suspect is ‘Islamist extremist with conviction for glorifying terrorism’, says minister
Four people have been arrested after a man was killed and seven police officers wounded in a knife attack in eastern France which has been linked to Islamic extremism.
Those in custody include a 37-year-old Algerian man, identified by prosecutors as Brahim A, who is thought to have carried out the attack at a market in Mulhouse, near the German border, at around 4pm on Saturday.
Interior minister Bruno Retailleau described the suspect, who arrived in France without papers in 2014, as an Islamic extremist with a schizophrenic profile.
He was previously arrested and convicted of glorifying terrorism in the wake of the 7 Oct 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, Mr Retailleau said.
The suspect was in prison for several months, then confined to house arrest as authorities sought to deport him to Algeria. Mr Retailleau criticised the country for resisting French efforts to return criminals.
He was armed with a knife and a screwdriver and repeatedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” (“God is greatest”) during the attack, the prosecutor said.
A Portuguese man – a civilian who tried to intervene – was killed and seven police officers were injured, including a parking control agent who was taken to hospital with grave injuries.
Two of the suspect’s family members and a person who lodged with him were also detained, the prosecutor’s office said.
The attacker is said to have been at a police station – where he was due to sign a document for his detention – but refused and ran into the market where he launched the attack.
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French President Emmanuel Macron said the government is determined to respond to the mass stabbing, which he blamed on ”Islamist terrorism”.
The French government will convene a special meeting on Wednesday about immigration in the wake of the attack, foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot said.