One person has been killed and five police officers injured in a knife attack in the eastern French city of Mulhouse.
The attack took place at about 16:00 local time (15:00 GMT) on Saturday near a busy market in Mulhouse, which is close to the borders with Germany and Switzerland.
A 37-year-old Algerian man was arrested at the scene and the prosecutor opened a terrorist inquiry because the suspect reportedly shouted “Allahu Akbar”, or “God is great”.
The man injured two police officers seriously, one in the neck and one in the chest. A 69-year-old Portuguese man who tried to intervene was stabbed and killed.
The suspect was subject to a deportation order because he was on a terrorism watch list, according to the local prosecutor. President Emmanuel Macron said there was “no doubt it was an Islamist terrorist attack”.
After expressing his condolences to the family of the victim, Macron added: “I want to reiterate the determination of the government, and mine, to continue the work to eradicate terrorism on our soil.”
French Prime Minister François Bayrou posted on X 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 said.
A further three people were in custody in connection with the case Sunday, the PNAT prosecutors unit said, without giving details.
Local prosecutor Nicolas Heitz said the suspect, who he did not name, was registered on France’s terrorist watchlist.
