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One day after the beheading of a woman and the murder of two other people in a church in Nice, the French government fears further attacks of this type. France is in a “war against Islamist ideology,” Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Friday. Therefore, there will be more incidents like “these terrible attacks”. In predominantly Muslim countries, however, there were new protests against French President Emmanuel Macron.
France’s lead counterterrorism investigator Francois Ricard said the alleged perpetrator, a Tunisian born in 1999, arrived in Europe on September 20 on the Italian island of Lampedusa. The suspect arrived by train in Nice on Thursday morning and then made his way to the church. There he beheaded a 60-year-old woman and stabbed the 55-year-old sexton. He also stabbed a 44-year-old woman who was able to flee to a nearby cafe and raise the alarm before she died. When police arrived at the scene, the attacker was still shouting “Allahu Akbar,” Chief Investigator Ricard said. The man was shot by police and taken to hospital. He is in critical condition.
Tunisia: Suspect was not known to be an extremist
Tunisia initially stated that the man was not known there as a suspected extremist. A representative of the judiciary later admitted that the suspect had been arrested in 2016 for violence and use of a knife. In addition, the Tunisian authorities launched investigations against a “Mahdi organization” that claimed responsibility on social media, according to the official TAP news agency.
The Italian prosecution also launched an investigation against the 21-year-old on suspicion of terrorism. In addition, investigations are underway into a deportation notice that was sent to the Tunisian, according to Italian media, citing the judicial authority.
In connection with the crime, according to judicial circles, a 47-year-old man was arrested Thursday night. He is suspected of having had contact with the alleged perpetrator. France has declared the highest level of security and assigned thousands of soldiers to protect religious houses and schools. According to the Interior Ministry, 3,500 reserve police are being mobilized. An additional 120 policemen are said to patrol Nice alone. President Macron had previously announced that the army’s counterterrorism force would increase from 3,000 to 7,000.
