Buddhist Police Launch Terror Investigation into Stabbing Incident Injuring 7

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] French police have launched a terrorism investigation into a stabbing incident in a southeastern city that left 2 dead and 5 injured, according to reports by The Guardian and others on the 5th (local time).

According to reports, the French National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) began investigating the 33-year-old Sudanese asylum seeker, who was arrested at the scene as a suspect in the stabbing incident that occurred on the 4th. Police also arrested two additional Sudanese men.

They are suspected of wielding knives while moving between shops on the 4th. Two people died in this incident: a cafe-theater owner who tried to protect his 12-year-old son on a nearby road, and a customer in a butcher shop. Additionally, five others nearby were injured. Authorities stated that the suspect was seen kneeling by the roadside praying in Arabic at the time.

Local officials told AFP that the suspect attacked people waiting in line outside a bakery before entering the second shop. The British daily The Times reported that the suspect's rampage lasted 15 minutes and that he reportedly shouted "Allahu Akbar" (meaning "God is great" in Arabic) during the attack. The suspect, who immigrated to France in 2017, had a 10-year residence permit.

BBC reported that police found a handwritten note with religious content at the suspect's home. The Times added that people around him said the suspect had recently expressed dissatisfaction with staying indoors due to lockdown orders.

In France, as COVID-19 spread recently, lockdowns were imposed allowing outings only for essential purchases. French President Emmanuel Macron described the incident as "a horrific act that brings sorrow to a country already tested over recent weeks."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.