French anti-terrorism prosecutors have launched an investigation into the fatal stabbing of a 23-year-old German-Filipino tourist near the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The incident, which took place around 9 pm on Saturday evening, not only resulted in the death of the tourist but also left two others injured, a 60-year-old French national and a 66-year-old British national. According to official statements, the assailant has been arrested and it has been confirmed that the lives of the injured are not in danger. The assailant is a 26-year-old French national with Iranian parents.
The man is allegedly radicalized by the Islamist State (IS). Prior to the attack, he had been known to make several posts related to Hamas, Gaza and Palestine on a social media platform. Previously in 2016, the man was arrested by the General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI) for planning a violent act in La Défense which resulted in a five-year imprisonment sentence in 2018. He revealed to the police that his motivation behind the attack was due to his inability to “bear to see Muslims die, both in Afghanistan and in Palestine,” accusing France of being “complicit in what Israel was doing.”
Emmanuel Macron, the French president, expressed his condolences to the victim’s family and called for a thorough investigation so that “justice can be done in the name of the French people.” In response to this tragic event, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne held a security meeting on Sunday with the Ministers of Interior, Justice and Health. Borne reinforced the government’s stance against these acts, stating on social media that “we will not give in to terrorism.“
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