A soldier from Operation Sentinel was injured with a knife on Monday evening at the Gare de l'Est station in Paris. The suspect, already known to the courts for a previous murder in 2018, has been arrested. The suspect, a 40-year-old man born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and of French nationality, was previously interned in a psychiatric ward after being declared irresponsible for the 2018 crime due to his mental health condition.
According to police sources, the suspect claimed to be a Christian and shouted 'God is great' in French during the attack. Surveillance camera footage shows the suspect following the soldiers for some time before carrying out the stabbing. Upon his arrest, he stated that he acted because 'the military kills people in his country.'
The injured soldier was hit in the upper back while patrolling the Gare de l'Est station. He was evacuated and taken care of by emergency services, and his vital prognosis is not in jeopardy. The Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, confirmed that the soldier's life is not at risk, while the Minister of the Armed Forces, Sébastien Lecornu, expressed his support and recognition for the armed forces' efforts in ensuring the security of France.
