A French soldier involved in the anti-terrorist operation Sentinelle was stabbed to death in Paris, at the Gare de l'Est. The police in the French capital announced this, adding that a suspect was arrested. The soldier was injured in the shoulder, a police source told AFP. This is not life-threatening. “My thoughts are with the soldier injured this evening at the Gare de l'Est, deployed as part of the Sentinelles operation,” Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu also wrote in X. “Support and recognition to our armed forces who are participating more than ever in guaranteeing the security of the French,” he added. The Sentinelles operation was launched in 2015 after the attack on the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris.
A soldier from Operation Sentinelle blessed the knife at the Gare de l'Est, it was consulted. A large device is being put in place. pic.twitter.com/QyEQuyMYXz
– Rémy Buisine (@RemyBuisine) July 15, 2024
Who is the arrested person?
The man arrested tonight after being injured in the army was already known to the French justice system for a murder committed in 2018: a case that resulted in him being taken to a psychiatric ward. This was confirmed by police sources cited by Agence France Presse. The man, born in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is of French nationality. According to initial information, he is a Christian and is said to have shouted “God is great” in French ('God is big'). He told investigators that he had acted “because the military is killing people in his country.” The attack at Gare de l'Est comes less than two weeks before the opening of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Tonight in the capital, the Olympic flame will be celebrated with a concert on Place de la République, not far from the point of attack.
(Ansa/EPA/IAN LANGSDON file photo)
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