'Allahu Akbar' Knifeman Shot Dead By Cops At France Train Station After Killing 2 Women Passengers
- 7 years ago
Cool-headed anti-terror marksmen gun down frenzied knifeman shouting 'Allahu Akbar' after he kills two female passengers, 17 and 20, in terror strike at Marseille station • Attacker stabbed two female passengers at Gare de Marseille-Saint-Charles • He was shot dead by the French army who swarmed the area this afternoon • Reports claim he was heard shouting 'Allahu Akbar' before stabbing passengers • Both of the victims were women, one of whom was left 'with a sliced neck' • A man shouting 'Allahu Akbar' has stabbed two women to death with a butcher's knife before being gunned down by soldiers in Marseille. The victims, aged 17 and 20, suffered horrific injuries during the 'frenzied' attack, with one slashed in the throat and the other stabbed in the chest and stomach. Eyewitnesses told how a man 'dressed in black' launched himself at the two women, who screamed for their lives as others ran for safety. The assailant was gunned down by soldiers who were on patrol inside Saint Charles train station at the time as part of France's ongoing state of emergency.
The suspect, thought to be aged 25 to 30, was known to authorities for common law crimes while analysis of his fingerprints came up with several aliases. Anti-terror officials said they were investigating 'links to a terrorist organisation' and the 'attempted killing of a public official', the identity of which is currently unknown. Photographs from the scene showed a woman lying on the ground and armed police standing over the attacker. A white sheet was later placed over his body. In a tweet, President Emmanuel Macron said: 'Deeply outraged by this barbaric act, in pain with the families and relatives of the victims of Marseille. 'I hail the Operation Sentinelle soldiers and the police forces who reacted with extreme calmness and efficiency.' Marseille mayor Jean-Claude Gaudin said he believed the incident to be a 'terrorist attack', while interior minister Gérard Collomb said it 'could be' related to terror. A police source added: ['The stabbings were] frenzied and took place in front of lots of witnesses. The man first shouted threats, and then launched into the two women.
'The two were killed by a knife, and then soldiers on anti-terrorism duties intervened. They shot the man dead.' He added that the suspect shouted Allahu Akbar – Arab for 'God is the Greatest' – during the attack. He was estimated to be aged between 25 to 30 years and no had no identification papers on him. The soldiers were part of Operation Sentinel, a wide ranging security operation involving armed patrols dispersed all over France. It is thought to be the latest in a long series of Islamic State atrocities across France and the rest of Europe. Local prosecutor Xavier Tarabeux said the assault took place just before 2pm. As they dealt with the attackers, hundreds of rail passengers fled in panic, and there were fears that there might be a dangerous stampede. 'There was screaming and shouting, and people were running everywhere,' said one witness. 'People were picking up children, and trying to help those who weren't very good on their feet. They just wanted to get away.'
Another female witness called Hajar told FranceInfo: 'I heard two shots, that was what triggered the panic. People came out of a waiting room shouting 'Run! Don't stay in the station. Everybody outside.' -- 'I had just got to the station when everyone started running. People sitting on the terrace of a fast food restaurant came inside and shouted 'Run, get out! Then I saw a woman on the floor, they were giving her CPR.' French Interior Minister Gérard Collomb has announced he is travelling to Marseille in wake of the attack to liaise with anti-terror police chiefs. A spokesman for Mr Collomb's department said: 'Anti-terrorist prosecutors have opened an enquiry, and the terrorist theory is privileged.' France remains under a state of emergency following a series of attacks by Islamist radicals linked to Islamic State and Al-Qaeda. Marine Le Pen tweeted after the incident: 'All my solidarity with Marseille. Terrorism is an act of war against our country: we must fight it as such!'
Earlier this month, four American college students were attacked with acid at the same train station in Marseille. At the time, French authorities said the assailant was suffering from a mental illness.
The suspect, thought to be aged 25 to 30, was known to authorities for common law crimes while analysis of his fingerprints came up with several aliases. Anti-terror officials said they were investigating 'links to a terrorist organisation' and the 'attempted killing of a public official', the identity of which is currently unknown. Photographs from the scene showed a woman lying on the ground and armed police standing over the attacker. A white sheet was later placed over his body. In a tweet, President Emmanuel Macron said: 'Deeply outraged by this barbaric act, in pain with the families and relatives of the victims of Marseille. 'I hail the Operation Sentinelle soldiers and the police forces who reacted with extreme calmness and efficiency.' Marseille mayor Jean-Claude Gaudin said he believed the incident to be a 'terrorist attack', while interior minister Gérard Collomb said it 'could be' related to terror. A police source added: ['The stabbings were] frenzied and took place in front of lots of witnesses. The man first shouted threats, and then launched into the two women.
'The two were killed by a knife, and then soldiers on anti-terrorism duties intervened. They shot the man dead.' He added that the suspect shouted Allahu Akbar – Arab for 'God is the Greatest' – during the attack. He was estimated to be aged between 25 to 30 years and no had no identification papers on him. The soldiers were part of Operation Sentinel, a wide ranging security operation involving armed patrols dispersed all over France. It is thought to be the latest in a long series of Islamic State atrocities across France and the rest of Europe. Local prosecutor Xavier Tarabeux said the assault took place just before 2pm. As they dealt with the attackers, hundreds of rail passengers fled in panic, and there were fears that there might be a dangerous stampede. 'There was screaming and shouting, and people were running everywhere,' said one witness. 'People were picking up children, and trying to help those who weren't very good on their feet. They just wanted to get away.'
Another female witness called Hajar told FranceInfo: 'I heard two shots, that was what triggered the panic. People came out of a waiting room shouting 'Run! Don't stay in the station. Everybody outside.' -- 'I had just got to the station when everyone started running. People sitting on the terrace of a fast food restaurant came inside and shouted 'Run, get out! Then I saw a woman on the floor, they were giving her CPR.' French Interior Minister Gérard Collomb has announced he is travelling to Marseille in wake of the attack to liaise with anti-terror police chiefs. A spokesman for Mr Collomb's department said: 'Anti-terrorist prosecutors have opened an enquiry, and the terrorist theory is privileged.' France remains under a state of emergency following a series of attacks by Islamist radicals linked to Islamic State and Al-Qaeda. Marine Le Pen tweeted after the incident: 'All my solidarity with Marseille. Terrorism is an act of war against our country: we must fight it as such!'
Earlier this month, four American college students were attacked with acid at the same train station in Marseille. At the time, French authorities said the assailant was suffering from a mental illness.