Man arrested after on-duty soldier was stabbed in Paris

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
16 Jul 2024 11:10
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The Paris public prosecutor has launched an investigation into the attempted murder, aiming to determine "the circumstances and motivation" behind the incident.

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A soldier stands by the French flag at the military camp set up in the Vincennes woods, on Monday, July 15, 2024, just outside Paris. (AP)

A man was arrested, on Monday, in connection with the stabbing of an on-duty soldier in Paris.

This incident occurred less than two weeks before the start of the Olympic Games in the French capital.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced on social media platform X that the soldier's life was not in danger, although a police source informed AFP that the soldier had been stabbed "between the shoulder blades."

The suspect was detained by fellow soldiers on patrol, while the injured soldier was transported to the hospital "conscious", according to the source.

Following the stabbing, a security perimeter was established around one side of the Gare de l'Est station, with police remaining at the scene until around midnight (2200 GMT), approximately two hours after the attack.

The Paris public prosecutor has launched an investigation into the attempted murder, aiming to determine "the circumstances and motivation" behind the incident.

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The suspect, a 40-year-old originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo who acquired French nationality in 2006, reportedly shouted "God is great" in French during the attack and identified himself as Christian. He claimed he targeted the soldier because "the military kills people in his country," according to police sources.

The suspect had been previously known to French authorities for a 2018 murder, for which he was placed in a psychiatric facility. He had fatally stabbed a 22-year-old man at Chatelet-les-Halles metro station in Paris and was declared not legally responsible for the murder due to diminished capacity, as confirmed by a court judgment.

Armed Forces Minister Sebastien Lecornu expressed his thoughts on X, acknowledging the injured soldier from the Gare de l'Est. He noted that the soldier was part of a special military operation established to protect sensitive sites in Paris since 2015. Since then, there have been multiple attacks on French armed forces in the capital, including at least four in 2017.