Man Who Stabbed Tourist near Eiffel Tower Swore Allegiance to Islamic State
A man who stabbed a tourist to death near the Eiffel Tower in Paris has been found to have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in a video posted on social media, according to French anti-terrorist prosecutors. The attack took place late on Saturday and the assailant, a French national born in 1997 to Iranian parents, killed a 23-year-old man with a hammer and a knife. He also injured two other people before being apprehended by the police.
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The attacker was already known to authorities as a radicalized Islamist and had connections to individuals involved in previous attacks in France. He had also been under close psychological surveillance due to mental health issues. The man’s mother had expressed concerns about his behavior as recently as October, but there was insufficient evidence at the time to take legal action.
The incident occurred at a time when France is on high alert due to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, as well as a series of lone-wolf attacks in the country. The attacker shouted “Allahu Akbar” (“God is greatest”) before fleeing the scene. He was eventually stopped and arrested by the police.
Senior prosecutor Jean-Francois Ricard revealed that the attacker had a social media account where he posted about Hamas, Gaza, and Palestine. In a video in Arabic, he swore allegiance to the Islamic State and expressed support for jihadists in various regions, including Africa, Iraq, Syria, Sinai, Yemen, and Pakistan.
The attacker, who had converted to Islam at the age of 18, had a history of consuming large amounts of Islamic State propaganda. He had previously planned to join the group in Iraq or Syria and had connections with individuals involved in other attacks, including the killing of a teacher in 2020.
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The Interior Minister, Gerald Darmanin, has called for authorities to have the power to demand compulsory treatment for individuals with mental health issues who are believed to be radicalized. He emphasized that France remains under the threat of radical Islamism and called for a strong penal response.
France has experienced several attacks by Islamist extremists in recent years, including the 2015 attacks in Paris. The tensions have escalated following the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas, leading to increased concerns about security in the country.
