A tragic knife attack occurred in eastern France on Saturday, leaving one person dead and two police officers seriously injured. French President Emmanuel Macron immediately labelled the event an “Islamist terror attack.” This incident has reignited concerns about terrorism in France and across Europe.
Police arrested the suspect, an Algerian national, in Mulhouse, a city near the Swiss and German borders. Authorities confirmed that the suspect had appeared on a terror prevention watchlist, which aims to monitor individuals with suspected ties to extremism.
Alongside the two officers who sustained serious injuries, three other officers and a parking attendant also suffered minor injuries. Despite these injuries, Macron confirmed that there is no doubt the attack was a terrorist act.
Details of the attack
The attack unfolded shortly before 4pm, in a busy market area close to a demonstration on the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Prosecutors revealed that the attacker seemed to target random victims in a crowded public space.
Witnesses heard the suspect shout “Allahu Akbar” repeatedly during the assault. As a result, the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office (PNAT) has taken over the investigation. They are treating the case as both a murder and an attempted murder linked to terrorism.
A passer-by tragically died after attempting to intervene. The victim suffered multiple stab wounds while trying to stop the attack. One of the seriously injured police officers had a deep wound to the carotid artery, while the other was stabbed in the chest.
Increasing terrorism threat across europe
The FSPRT terror watchlist tracks individuals who might pose a risk of radicalisation. Authorities established it in 2015, following the deadly attacks on Charlie Hebdo and a Jewish supermarket. The list helps prevent terrorism by monitoring potentially dangerous individuals.
This latest attack follows a concerning pattern of similar incidents across Europe. Just a day earlier, a Syrian asylum-seeker was arrested in Berlin for stabbing a tourist at the Holocaust memorial. Authorities revealed that the suspect had planned to target Jewish people. In Munich earlier this month, an Afghan migrant drove his car into a crowd, killing a mother and her young daughter while injuring dozens more.
These events have raised security concerns across Europe, especially in Germany, where the upcoming election is now heavily focused on national safety.
