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Two dead, one injured in knife attack near Paris
[10News] Two people were killed and one "badly injured" in a knife attack Thursday morning in Trappes, a suburb west of Paris, according to France's National Police. The attacker was also killed, police said."After the attack, he ran into a house to hide. He left shortly afterward and threatened police before being neutralized," police said. Authorities have not yet given an indication of motive for the attack. The matter may have been a family dispute, CNN's French affiliate BFM-TV reported. The two people who were killed were the attacker's mother and sister, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry told CNN. The French Interior Ministry urged the public via Twitter to "avoid the area and respect the security perimeters so as not to disrupt the police work." Interior Minister Gérard Collomb tweeted: "The individual has been neutralized. My first thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones. I want to salute the actions and the exemplary mobilization of our police forces. They are already investigating to establish the circumstances of this tragedy." Collomb later tweeted that he had arrived at the police station in Trappes, less than 20 miles from Paris, to be briefed on the situation. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack via its Amaq media outlet but did not provide any evidence to support the claim. The anti-terror Paris prosecution office has not yet opened an investigation into the attack, as is customary if there is a strong indication of a link to terrorism. On Thursday, ISIS released what it said was a new audio message from its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in which he purportedly issued a rallying call to supporters in the face of continued military defeats. According to BFM-TV, Trappes is a poor town in the middle of a wealthy area. Half of its roughly 30,000 inhabitants are aged under 25, the broadcaster said, and the unemployment rate is close to 20%
French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb arrived at the scene not long after the attacker had been shot dead, and described the 36-year-old as a 'criminal who had significant psychiatric problems'. 'He was known (to police) for advocating terrorism but it seems he was a disturbed person rather than someone who could respond to calls for action from terrorist organisations like Daesh,' he said, using the Arabic acronym for ISIS. Mr Salhi had recently returned to his family home Trappes, after separating from his girlfriend in the nearby Val d’Oise department. Following a conviction of 'apologising for terrorism’ in 2016, which saw him end up on a police terror watchlist, he was fired from his job as a bus driver. He had reportedly been making a living as a taxi driver, but is said to have suffered with severe psychological problems and was known to be a heavy drinker. Trappes has a population of around 30,000 and is part of the far suburbs of the greater Paris area. Only a short drive from the wealthy area of Versailles, home to the world-famous Versailles Palace, the town is known for problems linked to poverty, gangs and hardline interpretations of Islam. It has a large Muslim population and about 50 locals are suspected of having left France to fight for the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq, according to French security sources. In July 2013, Trappes was the scene of a series of riots which saw Muslim protesters torch cars and attack a police station. Hundreds stormed the local police headquarters after officers had tried to fine a woman for wearing a niqab, a full-face Islamic veil which is forbidden in France, and arrested her husband for trying to stop them. Posted by: Frank G 2018-08-23 |
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