French soldier stabbed in the neck in the middle of Paris

On May 25, a French soldier patrolling a busy shopping area in the west of Paris was stabbed in the neck by an unknown assailant, causing serious injuries. The incident shocked France in the context of a British soldier being brutally stabbed to death on the streets of London. The assailant quickly escaped into the crowd and is being hunted by the police.

French police patrol in front of the Eiffel Tower (Source: AFP)

The incident happened at 6pm local time and the uniformed soldier was on patrol with two other colleagues in the busy La Defense area. Witnesses said the stranger approached the soldier from behind and suddenly pulled out a knife and attacked him.

Police said the victim was taken to hospital with severe blood loss but was not in any danger. Some witnesses said the gunman was a North African man in his 30s who was dressed in an Arab style. However, police did not confirm this identification.

French President Francois Hollande, who is in Ethiopia to attend the 50th anniversary of the African Union (AU), has been informed of the attack. He said Paris police are investigating and searching for the perpetrator, adding that the incident is not linked to the bloody murder in London.

The attack comes just days after a British soldier was stabbed to death by two black men shouting pro-Islamic slogans on a street in south London. The British government said it was a possible terrorist attack.

France has been put on high alert after threats of attacks by a North African terrorist group linked to the Al Qaeda network, in retaliation for its military intervention in Mali last January./.

According to (Vietnam+) - DT