France investigating Paris knife attack as terrorism

The scene of the attack on the evening of May 12 in Paris, France. Photo: AP

According to police, the attack occurred in the evening around 9 p.m. on Monsigny Street, a few hundred meters from the Opera House, leaving one person dead, two seriously injured, and two others with less serious injuries.

By 10:20 p.m., the nearby Quatre-Septembre metro station was closed for safety reasons. The attack left one person dead and four others injured. The attacker was later shot dead by police at the scene.

After the attack, the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) organization announced through its media agency that the attacker was actually “a soldier of the Islamic Caliphate”.

Also on the night of May 12, Interior Minister Gerard Collomb, after visiting the victims at the hospital, said that the four injured people were out of danger.

According to Mr. Collomb, the deceased was a 29-year-old man and noted that “once again French youth are under attack.”

Mr. Francois Molins, Paris prosecutor, answers the press about the attack. Photo: AFP

At a press conference, Mr. Francois Molins, Paris prosecutor, said that many witnesses said that the attacker shouted “Allah akbar” during the attack. This person is related to a terrorist criminal group.

French President Emmanuel Macron made his first statements on Twitter, affirming that “we will not make the slightest concession to the enemies of freedom” and “commend the courage of the police force that stopped the terrorist.”