A knife attack in Mulhouse, eastern France, on Saturday resulted in one civilian’s death and serious injuries to two police officers, in what President Emmanuel Macron described as an “Islamist terror act.” Three other officers sustained minor injuries.
The 37-year-old suspect, on a terror prevention watchlist, was arrested after the incident. According to France’s national anti-terror prosecutors (PNAT), the suspect attacked municipal police officers while shouting “Allahu Akbar.” Witnesses confirmed hearing the Arabic phrase, often used as an expression of faith.
A 69-year-old Portuguese national intervened and was fatally wounded. One officer suffered a carotid artery injury, while another was injured in the thorax.
The attack took place during a demonstration supporting the Democratic Republic of Congo in a busy area of Mulhouse, a city of 110,000 residents. Security measures were quickly implemented, and military units were deployed to the scene.
The suspect, reportedly born in Algeria, was under judicial supervision and house arrest with an expulsion order from France, according to union sources.
Macron pointed out that there was “no doubt” the incident was a “terrorist act,” specifically “an Islamist terrorist act” and reiterated France’s commitment to combating terrorism.
Interior minister Bruno Retailleau visited the scene, and an investigation into murder and attempted murder “in connection with a terrorist enterprise” is underway.
Mulhouse Mayor Michele Lutz expressed shock, saying, “Horror has seized our city.” Prime Minister Francois Bayrou condemned the attack, saying, “Fanaticism has struck again, and we are in mourning.”
