Attacker shot dead as France marks first anniversary of Paris attacks
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – French police shot dead a knife-wielding attacker in Paris on Thursday, as the country marked the first anniversary of deadly attacks in the French capital that sent shockwaves across Europe.
“A man armed with a knife was shot dead by security forces Thursday after attempting to enter a police station in northern Paris,” France 24, a state-run broadcaster, said on its website.
It reported Paris prosecutors as saying that an anti-terrorism inquiry has been opened into the incident, which took place before midday, and that the attacker was carrying a printed flag of the Islamic State (ISIS), which had claimed last year’s Paris attacks.
The website said that a witness who was around 50 meters from the police station heard the man cry "Allahu Akbar," or God is great. Police said the attacker was wearing a fake explosives belt, as he tried to force his way into the station.
French daily Le Parisien quoted a source close to the investigation as saying that the attacker also carried a claim stating that the attack was “revenge for the killings in Syria.”
The man, who has not yet been named, had a previous conviction for theft, according to AFP.
France has been on high alert since last year’s Jan. 7 attack on the satirical Charlie Hebdo magazine, which was followed by the shooting of a policewoman and a hostage incident at a Jewish supermarket that left four people dead. Three days of attacks left 17 dead.
On November 13, 130 people were killed in coordinated shootings and suicide bombings against a concert hall, bars, restaurants and a football stadium, heightening security concerns in France and across Europe.
“A man armed with a knife was shot dead by security forces Thursday after attempting to enter a police station in northern Paris,” France 24, a state-run broadcaster, said on its website.
It reported Paris prosecutors as saying that an anti-terrorism inquiry has been opened into the incident, which took place before midday, and that the attacker was carrying a printed flag of the Islamic State (ISIS), which had claimed last year’s Paris attacks.
The website said that a witness who was around 50 meters from the police station heard the man cry "Allahu Akbar," or God is great. Police said the attacker was wearing a fake explosives belt, as he tried to force his way into the station.
French daily Le Parisien quoted a source close to the investigation as saying that the attacker also carried a claim stating that the attack was “revenge for the killings in Syria.”
The man, who has not yet been named, had a previous conviction for theft, according to AFP.
France has been on high alert since last year’s Jan. 7 attack on the satirical Charlie Hebdo magazine, which was followed by the shooting of a policewoman and a hostage incident at a Jewish supermarket that left four people dead. Three days of attacks left 17 dead.
On November 13, 130 people were killed in coordinated shootings and suicide bombings against a concert hall, bars, restaurants and a football stadium, heightening security concerns in France and across Europe.