France raises security level after school knife attack
According to the authorities, the condition has been stabilized by the police.
The leader of the French government has declared a state of maximum alert in the fight against terrorism, following an attack where a person killed a teacher and severely injured two other individuals with a knife.
People who saw what happened claimed that the person with the knife shouted "Allahu Akbar", which means "God is greatest", while he was attacking a school located in northern France, specifically in Arras. The authorities have already apprehended him.
The degree of "emergency attack" has been employed in previous instances involving anti-terrorism measures.
The warning has the potential to activate additional security measures and public announcements.
Last Saturday, approximately 7,000 military personnel were deployed to carry out more frequent security patrols. Additionally, the renowned Louvre Museum in Paris had to be closed due to security concerns.
The assault that occurred at Gambetta secondary school in the northern region happened at roughly 11:00 in the morning, according to the local time (09:00 GMT). The event took place during a period of growing tension between the large Muslim and Jewish populations in France, exacerbated by the ongoing conflict between the Israeli government and Hamas.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin expressed his certainty that there exists a connection between the attack in Arras and the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
The culprit, identified as a 20-year-old from Russia named Mohamed Mogouchkov, has roots in Chechnya and is recognized by authorities for his connection to radical Islamic beliefs, says law enforcement.
According to reports, his use of extremist language caused concern among the teachers during his time as a student at the school.
The police have apprehended some relatives of the attacker which include a sibling who is 17 years old, the mother, an aunt, and a sister.
Following a security meeting with President Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne took immediate action.
After the attack on Friday, police are protecting the school in Arras.
Mr Macron recently paid a visit to the school where he spoke out against the "savagery of Islamist terrorism". He urged the French people to remain "united" in the wake of the attack and advised them to "not succumb to terror or allow anything to fragment us".
A language instructor who taught the French language was killed by stab wounds he received on his throat and chest. As a result of the attack, two other individuals, a teacher and a security officer, were severely injured and had to be admitted to the hospital for treatment. The condition of the security officer is particularly alarming, as he has several knife wounds, and his situation is critical.
The attack did not harm any children, but a cleaner who was present received minor injuries.
Mr. Macron expressed his praise for the teacher who lost his life, stating that he courageously stepped up to protect others and undoubtedly rescued numerous individuals.
Martin Dousseau, an educator who observed the assault, communicated to AFP news organization regarding "a moment of intense fear amid the break period, when the scholars encountered an armed individual".
According to Mr. Dousseau, a person caused harm to canteen employees. He wanted to intervene, however, the person then directed his attention to Mr. Dousseau, followed him and questioned if he was a teacher of history and geography. Mr. Dousseau and company locked themselves in a safe place until the police arrived and apprehended the individual.
An assault occurred almost three years after a teacher named Samuel Paty was murdered and decapitated at his school located in the outskirts of Paris.
The person responsible for carrying out the aggression was an 18-year-old named Abdullakh Anzorov, who was a Muslim refugee from Russia. The police shot and killed him not long after the incident occurred.
In the past few years, France has experienced various episodes of terrorism perpetrated by extremists with Islamist ideologies. The most devastating attack occurred in November 2015 when assailants armed with guns and suicide bombs stormed entertainment venues and coffee shops across Paris, resulting in the death of 130 individuals. The Islamic State (IS) organization later took responsibility for the incident.
