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| Europe | ||
| Man decapitated in ISIS attack in France | ||
| 2015-06-26 | ||
The murder is believed to have been accompanied by several explosions on the site cause by a terrorist igniting small 'gas bombs' that injured dozens of factory workers. It is thought the explosions may have intended to blow up the entire factory site but failed. The murdered man's head is understood to have been found 30 feet away from his body, hanging on the factory's fence and covered in Arabic writing. A 30-year-old man - named by French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve as father-of-three Yassine Salhi who is understood to have been known to security services since at least 2006 - has already been arrested at the scene, telling police officers that he is a member of the Islamic State terror group. The man is believed not to have a criminal record but was considered to have 'possibly been radicalised'.
French President Francois Hollande, speaking in Brussels, said the attack began when a car crashed through the gate of the factory and ploughed into gas canisters, touching off an explosion. 'No doubt about the intention - to cause an explosion,' Mr Hollande said, calling the attack 'of a terrorist nature'. Cazeneuve later said Salhi was seized by an alert firefighter, and was one of multiple people in custody after the attack, adding that authorities are trying to identify the victim whose severed head was posted at the factory's entrance. 'People who could have participated in this abject crime are in custody,' he said The head was found staked on a gate at the factory's entrance, in what appeared to be an echo of the Islamic State group's practice of beheading prisoners and displaying their heads for all to see. An official said two flags - one white and one black, both with Arabic inscriptions - were found nearby. At a press conference this afternoon, Cazeneuve named the arrested man as Yassine Salhi. The spelling of the suspect's surname has also been reported as Sahi or Sali. 'He was investigated in 2006 for radicalisation, but (the probe) was not renewed in 2008. He had no criminal record,' he added. 'This individual has links with the Salafist movement, but had not been identified as having participated in activities of a terrorist nature.' Cazeneuve also confirmed that several people close to the attacker have also been arrested. These are presumed to be Salhi's family members. France's prime minister later branded the attack 'Islamist terrorism,' announcing he was cutting short a visit to South America to deal with the crisis. 'Islamist terrorism has hit France again,' Manuel Valls told a press conference in Colombia's capital Bogota, adding that he would take part by telephone in an emergency meeting called by President Francois Hollande, then rush back to France. Within an hour of the attack, French President Francois Hollande was to return home early from an EU summit. Speaking at a press conference in Brussels shortly afterwards, Hollande said a man who launched a 'terrorist' assault on a gas factory Friday has been identified and that there may have been a second attacker. Local media reported that a second terrorist has since been arrested. 'This attack was in a vehicle driven by one person, perhaps accompanied by another,' Hollande added. 'The individual suspected of committing this attack has been arrested and identified.' Local newspaper Dauphine Libere is reporting that a second person has now been arrested, believed to be the man who drove the Ford Fusion 'preview' car around the factory this morning before the attack. Investigators are working to establish the full details of the attack but is widely thought that the explosions were intended to have a far bigger impact than causing several dozen injuries, and may have been intended to blow up the entire Air Products headquarters. Salhi had a 'link' to Salafist movement, Cazeneuve said but was not implicated in any terrorist activities. The Salafi movement is a group within Sunni Islam, which is often associated with literalist approaches to Islam. He said a 'fiche S' was opened on the attacker in 2006 for radicalisation. A 'fiche S' for which the S stands for 'Sûreté d'etat' basically means he had been identified as a possible danger and should be watched. The file was not renewed in 2008, however, meaning authorities no longer considered him a risk. Cazeneuve also said the man named as Yassine Sali had no criminal record. He added that the suspect is believed to be father of three children. He was known for links to extremism but not identified as a high risk who would carry out an attack, says Cazeneuve. | ||
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #4 father-of-three Yassine Salhi He added that the suspect is believed to be father of three children. Why is this a relevant detail? Was his victim a father as well, or is it not important to know that? Are we only supposed to care about the fate of jihadi spawn? |
| Posted by: charger 2015-06-26 13:10 |
| #3 mutual tolerance is the only way - i tolerate you, you tolerate my cartoons of momo ...or we could just not tolerate them...But, hey, don't worry France! We'll get James Taylor to sing another song for you. |
| Posted by: Ebbang Uluque6305 2015-06-26 11:48 |
| #2 any tshirt printer can put it on a 100% cotton shirt for you, or a bag, or a tea towel or anything you like really. i try to position the two momos before and after freedom is my religion so they sit right on the breast region. Then if someone says something nasty i just ask why they are looking there anyway |
| Posted by: anon1 2015-06-26 10:46 |
| #1 Is it Ramadamadingdong time again? You know the hunger makes them crazy.... this plus tunisia. I recommend everyone to save a high-res jpeg of Charlie Hebdo front cover with momo as guest editor (the one for which they got firebombed), print it on a T-shirt. Big. On the front or back. Other side - Freedom is my religion plus 2 more momos Danish cartoon momos are good, bomb momo and happy moon and stars momo mutual tolerance is the only way - i tolerate you, you tolerate my cartoons of momo |
| Posted by: anon1 2015-06-26 10:44 |