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Paris Orly airport shooting: Attacker was 'radicalised Muslim' man known to French intelligence services | Paris Orly airport shooting: Attacker was 'radicalised Muslim' man known to French intelligence services |
(35 minutes later) | |
The man shot dead after attempting to steal a soldier's gun at Paris Orly Airport was a "radicalised Muslim" known to security services. | |
The 40-year-old shot at police officers manning a checkpoint in northern Paris with an "air pistol" before launching the airport attack, the French interior minister said. | |
Bruno Le Roux said one officer was shot and was undergoing hospital treatment. | |
"We can link the [airport attacker's] identity with a check carried out at Garges Les Gonesse by a patrol in Stains this morning at 6.50am (5.50am GMT)," he added. | |
"The individual's identity is known to the police and intelligence services." | |
The car stopped in Stains was a Renault Clio, which was later abandoned for a Citroen Picasso hijacked at gunpoint in Vitry. The car was found at Orly airport. | |
A police source described the attacker as "a radicalised Muslim known to intelligence services". | |
He attempted to steal a Famas assault rifle from a female soldier on a counter-terror patrol before being killed, Mr Le Roux said, adding that he "did not succeed". | |
Jean-Yves Le Drian, the French defence minister, said the air force member was thrown to the ground during the assault, adding: "The two other airmen in the patrol opened fire to protect their comrade and protect nearby members of the public. | |
"They reacted with great professionalism and remarkable composure." | |
Terrorism prosecutors have opened and investigation into the attack, which comes after a series of Isis-inspired atrocities across France. | |
No one else was injured in the airport attack at 8.30am local time (7.30am GMT), which triggered a red alert sent locally via the French government's Saip terror warning system. | |
“We were waiting in line to check in for a flight to Tel Aviv when we heard three or four gunshots nearby,” 54-year-old Franck Lecam told AFP. | “We were waiting in line to check in for a flight to Tel Aviv when we heard three or four gunshots nearby,” 54-year-old Franck Lecam told AFP. |
“There were police, emergency services, soldiers running in all directions. | “There were police, emergency services, soldiers running in all directions. |
“One of the security officials told us it happened near gates 37-38, for Turkish Airlines flights.” | “One of the security officials told us it happened near gates 37-38, for Turkish Airlines flights.” |
A photograph showed the attacker lying dead on the floor outside a bakery chain, wearing black trousers and a white shirt. | |
The airport was evacuated as security operations continued, with France's national police urging people not to cross the security perimeter. | The airport was evacuated as security operations continued, with France's national police urging people not to cross the security perimeter. |
Bomb squads and armed police were sent into the building to sweep for explosives. | Bomb squads and armed police were sent into the building to sweep for explosives. |
A notice was posted on the Paris airports authority website urging passengers not to travel to Orly, with diversions and delays expected. | A notice was posted on the Paris airports authority website urging passengers not to travel to Orly, with diversions and delays expected. |
Air traffic was suspended at Orly airport's south and west terminals as operations continued. | Air traffic was suspended at Orly airport's south and west terminals as operations continued. |
The attacked soldier was part of Operation Sentinel - a security initiative seeing troops deployed in combat uniforms around high profile sites including the Eiffel Tower since the Charlie Hebdo massacre. | |
France remains on high alert following a string of terror attacks directed and inspired by Isis, which has directed its followers to carry out opportunistic attacks on security forces and civilians in Europe. | France remains on high alert following a string of terror attacks directed and inspired by Isis, which has directed its followers to carry out opportunistic attacks on security forces and civilians in Europe. |
A parcel bomb believed to have been sent by Greek anarchists exploded at the International Monetary Fund's offices in Paris on Thursday, on the same day a student opened fire at a school in Grasse. | |
Ministers said the latest attack showed the importance of France's ongoing state of emergency, which has been extended several times despite human rights concerns raised by the UN. |