The surprising truth behind the truck attack in Nice

(Baonghean) - Following criticism in some French newspapers, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve admitted that on the night of the truck attack in Nice, there were no national police officers on duty in the area. This information is different from previous reports.

Police investigate the truck involved in the Nice attack after shooting dead the driver. Photo: Reuters)

The only people present along the route Mohamed Lahouaiei Bouhlel drove his truck through before plowing into a crowd, killing 84 people, were local police, who were far less heavily armed than the national police. As such, the national police force was not on duty the night of the incident.

Mr. Cazeneuve made this statement after French media published articles claiming that there was a serious security breach in Nice on the night of July 14, despite France maintaining a state of emergency security since the series of attacks in Paris late last year.

Liberation newspaper on July 20 accused Mr Cazeneuve of lying about the security situation at the entrances to the area. Citing photographs and witness statements, the newspaper said the entrance to the pedestrian zone in Nice was guarded by only two local police officers and a patrol car and was not blocked. Mr Cazeneuve had previously claimed that the national police had blocked the entrance to the pedestrian zone with two cars and six security officers.

Days after the attack, Christian Estrosi, the former mayor of Nice, said that the number of security personnel deployed in Nice during Bastille Day celebrations was much lower than the government had claimed. According to the government, 64 national police, 42 local police and 20 soldiers were mobilized.

Facing criticism from the media and the opposition, Mr. Cazeneuve has requested an investigation by the Investigation Committee of the Ministry of Public Security to clarify the situation in Nice on July 14.

“This investigation will help clarify what happened, thereby ending unnecessary debates,” Mr. Cazeneuve said today.

Diep Khanh

(According to RT)