A knife attack in the eastern French city of Mulhouse has left one person dead and five police officers injured.
Authorities arrested a 37-year-old Algerian man at the scene, and a terrorism inquiry has been launched after reports that the suspect shouted “Allahu Akbar,” meaning “God is great.”
During the attack, two police officers sustained serious injuries—one was stabbed in the neck and the other in the chest. A 69-year-old Portuguese man, who attempted to intervene, was fatally stabbed.
According to the local prosecutor, the suspect was under a deportation order and had been on a terrorism watch list. French President Emmanuel Macron stated there was “no doubt it was an Islamist terrorist attack.”
Expressing his condolences to the victim’s family, Macron reaffirmed the government’s commitment to combating terrorism. “I want to reiterate the determination of the government, and mine, to continue the work to eradicate terrorism on our soil,” he said.
The attack occurred around 16:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Saturday near a busy market in Mulhouse, a city near the borders of Germany and Switzerland.
At the time, police officers were patrolling a demonstration in support of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“I have lived in France for 41 years and I have never experienced something like this,” said Cemalettin Canak, 55, speaking to the Reuters news agency.
“It has shocked me a lot,” he added. “Now when I go to the market, I will be a little nervous.”
Knife Attack in Mulhouse
Of the two seriously injured officers taken to the hospital, the one stabbed in the chest was later discharged, while three other officers sustained minor injuries, prosecutors told the AFP news agency.
Mulhouse Mayor Michèle Lutz reacted to the attack, writing on Facebook: “Horror has seized our city.”
French Prime Minister François Bayrou also condemned the incident, posting that “fanaticism has struck again and we are in mourning.”
“My thoughts naturally go to the victims and their families, with the firm hope that the injured will recover,” he added.
On Saturday evening, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau visited the scene and spoke to broadcaster TF1, revealing that the suspect had been assessed as having a “schizophrenic profile” following his arrest.
Retailleau also stated that France had attempted to deport the suspect on ten occasions, but Algeria had repeatedly refused to accept him.
Calling for a new “balance of power” in France’s relations with Algeria, he told reporters, “We must change the rules” regarding the operation of detention centers.
