In a stark development, France has been placed on its highest level of security alert following a tragic incident wherein a suspected radical Islamist assailant claimed the life of a teacher and inflicted severe injuries on three others in the northern region of the nation.
The Elysée presidential palace has now declared the deployment of 7,000 soldiers to bolster security measures after an individual of Chechen origin perpetrated a fatal stabbing of the teacher, along with grievously wounding three adults at a school in Arras, located in northern France.
Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne, in a press statement on Friday night, has emphasized that the nation is now on “urgent” terrorist alert for a temporary period while authorities assess the extent of the looming threat.
This tragic occurrence unfolded as a suspect, already under surveillance as an Islamist extremist, committed the gruesome act within a secondary school in the northeastern town of Arras. Dominique Bernard, aged 57, met a tragic end within the school’s courtyard, succumbing to multiple neck wounds, as colleagues heroically confronted his assailant, identified as a former pupil.
During a press conference on Friday evening, Jean-François Ricard, the anti-terrorist prosecutor for France, revealed that the assailant, identified as Mohammed M, 20 years old, had caused the demise of one individual and left three others wounded, revising earlier reports. Chillingly, it was reported that the suspect had cried “Allahu Akbar” as he launched his assault upon the staff at the Gambetta-Carnot school in central Arras. Furthermore, it was confirmed that the suspect’s elder brother, two years his senior, had been convicted of two terrorism-related charges earlier in the year, receiving a sentence of five years and 18 months in prison.
It has been disclosed that Mohammed M was born in 2003 in the republic of Ingushetia within Russia’s predominantly Muslim North Caucasus region. He arrived in France in 2008, accompanied by his parents and four siblings. Other sources have indicated that this 20-year-old individual had recently come under scrutiny as a potential security risk just 11 days prior and had been under surveillance by the country’s intelligence services, including phone monitoring. Troublingly, he was reportedly detained by the police on Thursday but subsequently released due to the absence of grounds for his apprehension.
This grievous event resonates with the tragic killing of Samuel Paty, a history and geography teacher, nearly three years ago, when an 18-year-old Chechen refugee perpetrated a heinous act outside his school in the Paris suburb of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine.
Ricard confirmed that several other individuals linked to the suspect had been taken into custody for questioning, though he refrained from providing further details. On another note, Gérald Darmanin, the French interior minister, expressed his belief in a connection between the attack in Arras and acts of terrorism by Hamas on Israel. He underscored that the suspect had been closely monitored by the DGSI, France’s internal security services, who had tapped his phone. Darmanin disclosed that the suspect had been in contact with his brother, underscoring the seriousness of the situation.
The grim incident unfolded at approximately 11 a.m., and a video circulating on social media, filmed by students, captured the assailant, clad in a dark grey jacket, brandishing a knife and attacking individuals within the school’s courtyard. One of the victims attempted to fend off the attacker with a chair. A second teacher, reportedly a physical education instructor, along with a school security guard, remained in critical condition in the hospital as of Friday evening, as did another member of the school’s cafeteria staff.
Martin Doussau, a philosophy teacher at the school in Arras, encountered the assailant directly during the horrifying ordeal. Doussau recounted that the man had aggressively inquired multiple times whether he was a history teacher. It was at that juncture that Doussau realized the assault was linked to the prior murder of Samuel Paty. He elaborated that the assailant pursued him and persisted in asking about his profession, alluding to the fact that this was not a personal vendetta but an attack targeting history teachers. He further disclosed that the police arrived swiftly and, instead of resorting to lethal force, incapacitated the assailant with a Taser. This entire sequence of events unfolded within a mere 10-minute span, from the assailant’s entry, the attack on a colleague, to the arrival of law enforcement.
The Gambetta-Carnot school encompasses two distinct segments: a collège for pupils aged 11-15 and a lycée for those aged 15-18.
Sliman Hamzi, a representative of the Police Alliance union, affirmed that officers were swift to the scene, but regrettably, they were unable to save the teacher who sustained a fatal carotid artery injury, succumbing almost immediately within the school’s courtyard. Hamzi arrived as the suspect was apprehended by the police.
French President Emmanuel Macron made his way to Arras to express solidarity with the victims’ families and the school’s staff. He acknowledged the valiant efforts of the teacher who was killed, lauding his actions in saving numerous lives. The seriously injured colleague and other staff members who suffered severe wounds demonstrated remarkable courage during the incident. Macron’s visit conveyed the message of unity and resilience in the face of terrorism, with a resolute stance against division.
It has been reported that the suspect’s family received an expulsion order in February 2014, with arrangements made for their departure on a flight to Moscow. Humanitarian organizations intervened, however, resulting in the cancellation of the expulsion order, allowing the family to remain in France. Le Figaro reported that the older brother, Movsar M, had been arrested in 2019 as part of a group with intentions to launch an attack on the Élysée Palace.
This poignant incident underscores the imperative to remain vigilant and resolute in the face of extremism, as France confronts the tragic consequences of this act of terror.
