Deadly knife attack in central Paris, assailant arrested

Issued on: 02/12/2023 – 23:33Modified: 03/12/2023 – 00:06

1 min

Speaking moments after his first tweet, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin confirmed the suspect attacked tourists, killing one and injuring two others.

“The police have just courageously arrested an assailant attacking passers-by in Paris, around the Quai de Grenelle. One person dead and one wounded treated by the Paris firefighters. Please avoid the area,” the minister first wrote on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter

The suspect had shouted “Allahu Akbar” (“God is greatest”) before being arrested, Darmanin said, confirming an AFP information. The suspect was known for radical Islamism and to have psychiatric problems, and said he could not bear the situation in Gaza, Darmanin added.

The attacker was born in France and is French, the Paris public prosecutor’s office said.

The anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office said it had not yet put in charge of an investigation.

“The assailant was neutralised very quickly by police. We tried to save the life of this man. It’s a man who died and they (the people who were attacked) were tourists,” Dr Patrick Pelloux told BFM TV.

French Interior Minister said the man who died was of German nationality.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP & Reuters)