The Nice truck attacker staked out the seafront for two days before striking, it emerged on Sunday as investigators pieced together details of the Islamic State claimed massacre and questioned possible accomplices. 
 
A source close to the investigation told AFP that Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, a 31-year-old Tunisian, sent a text message just before the attack in which he &quot;expresses satisfaction at having obtained a 7.65-millimetre pistol and discusses the supply of other weapons&quot;. 
 
He also took a selfie at the wheel of the 19-tonne truck in the days before he ploughed it into a crowd of people who had been enjoying a fireworks display on Bastille Day, France&#39;s national day, killing 84 and injuring about 300. 
 
Mangled bodies were left strewn across the Riviera city&#39;s seafront in the grisly attack by a man described by those who knew him as a loner with a history of violence and depression. 
 
While some relatives and friends described the delivery driver as someone who drank heavily and never attended the local mosque, others questioned by investigators spoke of &quot;a recent shift to radical Islam&quot;, said a police source. 
 
But there has been no evidence yet linking him to the Islamic State group, which on Saturday claimed the attack. 
 
An Albanian suspected of providing the driver with the pistol was arrested in Nice on Sunday. Lahouaiej-Bouhlel fired at police who sprayed his rampaging truck with gunfire, eventually killing him. 
 
Two replica assault rifles and a dummy grenade were also found in the truck, which he rented a few days earlier and used for reconnaissance on the seafront. 
 
Besides the Albanian, six other people were being held over the carnage. 
 
Lahouaiej-Bouhlel&#39;s estranged wife, the mother of his three children, was released on Sunday after two days of questioning. 
 
Slow identification of victims: 
 
In Nice, many people were still desperately waiting for news of their loved ones. 
 
Prosecutors said just 52 victims had been officially identified so far as they take painstaking measures to avoid errors of identification seen during the Paris attacks last November. 
 
&quot;We have no news, neither good nor bad,&quot; said Johanna, a Lithuanian who was looking for her two friends, aged 20. 
 
American student Nicolas Leslie, 20, who had been missing since the attack was confirmed dead on Sunday, the third known US fatality. 
 
At least 10 children were among the dead as well as tourists from Ukraine, Switzerland, Germany and about 10 people from Russia, a local Russian association said. 
 
Religious services and gatherings in memory of the victims took place in several French cities on Sunday. 
 
Health Minister Marisol Touraine said 85 people were still hospitalised, 18 of them in critical condition. 
 
&#39;Radicalised very quickly&#39;: 
 
Despite several brushes with the law for petty crime, Lahouaiej-Bouhlel had never appeared on the radar of intelligence services. 
 
Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said Saturday he &quot;seemed to have been radicalised very quickly, from what his friends and family&quot; told police. 
 
People who went to the same gym as Lahouaiej-Bouhlel -- where he took salsa dancing classes and lifted weights -- described him as a vain man who &quot;flirted with anything that moved&quot;. 
 
The Islamic State group said one of its &quot;soldiers&quot; carried out the attack in response to its calls to target countries from the US-led coalition engaged in airstrikes against the group. 
 
Cazeneuve described the massacre as &quot;a new kind of attack&quot;. 
 
&quot;We are now confronted with individuals open to Islamic State&#39;s message to engage in extremely violent actions without necessarily having been trained or having the weapons to carry out a mass (casualty) attack,&quot; he said. 
 
Patriots called to volunteer: 
 
France&#39;s third major attack in the past 18 months has left the government fending off criticism over security failures and scrambling to reassure citizens about their safety. 
 
The frustration of the French was writ large in some of the messages left among flowers and tributes on Nice&#39;s seafront. 
 
&quot;Enough with the speeches&quot; and &quot;Sick of carnage in our streets&quot;, the messages read. 
 
Cazeneuve called for volunteers to boost the security forces who were already on high alert under an eight-month-old state of emergency. 
 
&quot;I want to call on all French patriots who wish to do so, to join this operational reserve,&quot; said Cazeneuve of a force currently made up of 12,000 volunteers aged between 17 and 30. 
 
The latest attack comes after a French parliamentary inquiry last week criticised numerous failings by the intelligence services following jihadist assaults in January and November last year. 
 
France is a prime target of IS, due to its role in fighting the group in Iraq and Syria, its emphasis on secular values, and what the government has admitted is a &quot;social and ethnic apartheid&quot; that alienates its large Muslim community. 
 
Hundreds of French jihadists have gone to fight alongside IS in Iraq and Syria. 
 
French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian noted that IS had recently repeated calls for supporters to &quot;directly attack the French, Americans, wherever they are and by whatever means&quot;. 
 
(AFP)

He also took a selfie at the wheel of the 19-tonne truck in the days before he ploughed it into a crowd of people on Bastille Day

The Nice truck attacker staked out the seafront for two days before striking, it emerged on Sunday as investigators pieced together details of the Islamic State claimed massacre and questioned possible accomplices. A source close to the investigation told AFP that Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, a 31-year-old Tunisian, sent a text message just before the attack in which he "expresses satisfaction at having obtained a 7.65-millimetre pistol and discusses the supply of other weapons". He also took a selfie at the wheel of the 19-tonne truck in the days before he ploughed it into a crowd of people who had been enjoying a fireworks display on Bastille Day, France's national day, killing 84 and injuring about 300. Mangled bodies were left strewn across the Riviera city's seafront in the grisly attack by a man described by those who knew him as a loner with a history of violence and depression. While some relatives and friends described the delivery driver as someone who drank heavily and never attended the local mosque, others questioned by investigators spoke of "a recent shift to radical Islam", said a police source. But there has been no evidence yet linking him to the Islamic State group, which on Saturday claimed the attack. An Albanian suspected of providing the driver with the pistol was arrested in Nice on Sunday. Lahouaiej-Bouhlel fired at police who sprayed his rampaging truck with gunfire, eventually killing him. Two replica assault rifles and a dummy grenade were also found in the truck, which he rented a few days earlier and used for reconnaissance on the seafront. Besides the Albanian, six other people were being held over the carnage. Lahouaiej-Bouhlel's estranged wife, the mother of his three children, was released on Sunday after two days of questioning. Slow identification of victims: In Nice, many people were still desperately waiting for news of their loved ones. Prosecutors said just 52 victims had been officially identified so far as they take painstaking measures to avoid errors of identification seen during the Paris attacks last November. "We have no news, neither good nor bad," said Johanna, a Lithuanian who was looking for her two friends, aged 20. American student Nicolas Leslie, 20, who had been missing since the attack was confirmed dead on Sunday, the third known US fatality. At least 10 children were among the dead as well as tourists from Ukraine, Switzerland, Germany and about 10 people from Russia, a local Russian association said. Religious services and gatherings in memory of the victims took place in several French cities on Sunday. Health Minister Marisol Touraine said 85 people were still hospitalised, 18 of them in critical condition. 'Radicalised very quickly': Despite several brushes with the law for petty crime, Lahouaiej-Bouhlel had never appeared on the radar of intelligence services. Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said Saturday he "seemed to have been radicalised very quickly, from what his friends and family" told police. People who went to the same gym as Lahouaiej-Bouhlel -- where he took salsa dancing classes and lifted weights -- described him as a vain man who "flirted with anything that moved". The Islamic State group said one of its "soldiers" carried out the attack in response to its calls to target countries from the US-led coalition engaged in airstrikes against the group. Cazeneuve described the massacre as "a new kind of attack". "We are now confronted with individuals open to Islamic State's message to engage in extremely violent actions without necessarily having been trained or having the weapons to carry out a mass (casualty) attack," he said. Patriots called to volunteer: France's third major attack in the past 18 months has left the government fending off criticism over security failures and scrambling to reassure citizens about their safety. The frustration of the French was writ large in some of the messages left among flowers and tributes on Nice's seafront. "Enough with the speeches" and "Sick of carnage in our streets", the messages read. Cazeneuve called for volunteers to boost the security forces who were already on high alert under an eight-month-old state of emergency. "I want to call on all French patriots who wish to do so, to join this operational reserve," said Cazeneuve of a force currently made up of 12,000 volunteers aged between 17 and 30. The latest attack comes after a French parliamentary inquiry last week criticised numerous failings by the intelligence services following jihadist assaults in January and November last year. France is a prime target of IS, due to its role in fighting the group in Iraq and Syria, its emphasis on secular values, and what the government has admitted is a "social and ethnic apartheid" that alienates its large Muslim community. Hundreds of French jihadists have gone to fight alongside IS in Iraq and Syria. French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian noted that IS had recently repeated calls for supporters to "directly attack the French, Americans, wherever they are and by whatever means". (AFP)

Nice Attack: Attacker staked out site for two days, accomplice suspected

French health minister Marisol Touraine said today&nbsp;that 18 people, including one child, were still in critical condition&nbsp;after the truck attack&nbsp;in Nice that killed 84.

Touraine said 85 people were still hospitalised, 29 of whom were in intensive care, after the attack claimed by the Islamic State group which turned a night of Bastille Day celebrations in the Riviera city to horror.

Touraine said that there was now only one person among the injured who had yet to be identified.

Over 300 people received medical care in the wake of the attack carried out by Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, a Tunisian who smashed a 19-tonne truck into a crowd that had just finished watching a fireworks display. 
 
(AFP)

85 are still hospitalised, 29 of whom are in intensive care. Only one among the injured yet to be identified

French health minister Marisol Touraine said today that 18 people, including one child, were still in critical condition after the truck attack in Nice that killed 84. Touraine said 85 people were still hospitalised, 29 of whom were in intensive care, after the attack claimed by the Islamic State group which turned a night of Bastille Day celebrations in the Riviera city to horror. Touraine said that there was now only one person among the injured who had yet to be identified. Over 300 people received medical care in the wake of the attack carried out by Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, a Tunisian who smashed a 19-tonne truck into a crowd that had just finished watching a fireworks display. (AFP)

18 still critical after Nice attack: Health minister

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the truck attack on the French city of Nice today&nbsp;as French police arrested three people&nbsp;in connection with the carnage that claimed the lives of at least 84 people.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;The person who carried out the operation in Nice&nbsp;to run down people was one of the soldiers of Islamic State,&quot; the news agency Amaq, which supports Islamic State, said via its Telegram account.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;He carried out the operation in response to calls to target nationals of states that are part of the coalition fighting Islamic State,&quot; the statement said. 
 
French authorities said they were checking the claim. 
 
The 31-year-old Tunisian driver of the truck drove at a Bastille day crowd on the waterfront of the French riveria city on Thursday night. Authorities had been working to find out whether his motives were indeed connected to radical Islam.&nbsp; 
 
He was not known to French intelligence sources for radicalisation. 
 
The arrests, which came on top of two on Friday including the attacker&#39;s wife, concerned the attacker&#39;s &quot;close entourage&quot;, the sources said. They were made in two different areas of Nice. 
 
A reporter saw about 40 elite police raid a small apartment near the central station, where one individual was arrested. 
 
Nice attack was third of its kind in France&nbsp; 
 
Thursday night&#39;s attack plunged France into new grief and fear just eight months after gunmen killed 130 people in Paris. 
 
The truck zigzagged along the city&#39;s seafront Promenade des Anglais as a fireworks display marking the French national day ended.&nbsp; 
 
It careered into families and friends listening to an orchestra or strolling above the Mediterranean beach towards the century-old grand Hotel Negresco. 
 
The attack is the third of its kind in France since the beginning of 2015, and a state of emergency in place since 130 people were killed in and around Paris last November is to be extended for another three months. 
 
The driver, Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, was shot dead by officers at the scene. He was known to police for petty crimes but was not on a watch list of suspected militants. He had one criminal conviction for road rage, having been sentenced to probation three months ago for throwing a wooden pallet at another driver.&nbsp; 
 
Ahead of the claim by the Islamic State, the terrorist&nbsp;Islamist group which grabbed control of swathes of Iraq and Syria but which is now under military pressure from forces opposed to it, French officials had not disclosed any direct evidence linking Bouhlel with the jihadism.

French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve, asked on Friday if he could confirm the attacker&#39;s motives were linked to jihadism, said: &quot;No. ... We have an individual who was not known to intelligence services.&quot;

Relatives and neighbours in Bouhlel&#39;s home town of Msaken outside the coast city of Sousse said he was sporty and had shown no sign of being radicalised, including when he last returned for the wedding of a sister four years ago. 
 
(Reuters)

The arrests include the attacker's wife. French authorities said they were checking the claim of IS involvement in the attack

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the truck attack on the French city of Nice today as French police arrested three people in connection with the carnage that claimed the lives of at least 84 people. "The person who carried out the operation in Nice to run down people was one of the soldiers of Islamic State," the news agency Amaq, which supports Islamic State, said via its Telegram account. "He carried out the operation in response to calls to target nationals of states that are part of the coalition fighting Islamic State," the statement said. French authorities said they were checking the claim. The 31-year-old Tunisian driver of the truck drove at a Bastille day crowd on the waterfront of the French riveria city on Thursday night. Authorities had been working to find out whether his motives were indeed connected to radical Islam. He was not known to French intelligence sources for radicalisation. The arrests, which came on top of two on Friday including the attacker's wife, concerned the attacker's "close entourage", the sources said. They were made in two different areas of Nice. A reporter saw about 40 elite police raid a small apartment near the central station, where one individual was arrested. Nice attack was third of its kind in France Thursday night's attack plunged France into new grief and fear just eight months after gunmen killed 130 people in Paris. The truck zigzagged along the city's seafront Promenade des Anglais as a fireworks display marking the French national day ended. It careered into families and friends listening to an orchestra or strolling above the Mediterranean beach towards the century-old grand Hotel Negresco. The attack is the third of its kind in France since the beginning of 2015, and a state of emergency in place since 130 people were killed in and around Paris last November is to be extended for another three months. The driver, Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, was shot dead by officers at the scene. He was known to police for petty crimes but was not on a watch list of suspected militants. He had one criminal conviction for road rage, having been sentenced to probation three months ago for throwing a wooden pallet at another driver. Ahead of the claim by the Islamic State, the terrorist Islamist group which grabbed control of swathes of Iraq and Syria but which is now under military pressure from forces opposed to it, French officials had not disclosed any direct evidence linking Bouhlel with the jihadism. French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve, asked on Friday if he could confirm the attacker's motives were linked to jihadism, said: "No. ... We have an individual who was not known to intelligence services." Relatives and neighbours in Bouhlel's home town of Msaken outside the coast city of Sousse said he was sporty and had shown no sign of being radicalised, including when he last returned for the wedding of a sister four years ago. (Reuters)

Islamic State claims truck attack in Nice, 3 arrested

Brazil said on Friday that it will bolster security for next month&#39;s Olympics in Rio following the truck attack in the French city of Nice. 
 
Brazil&#39;s interim president Michel Temer held an emergency meeting with his intelligence chief and members of his cabinet late Friday to weigh the next steps after the Nice attack, which killed at least 84 people. 
 
As he left the meeting, intelligence chief Sergio Etchegoyen said new security measures would include extra checkpoints, barricades and traffic restrictions. 
 
Brazil had already planned to deploy 85,000 police and soldiers to provide security for the Olympics, running August 5-21, which is double the number used in the 2012 London Games. 
 
Heightened fears, heightened security 
 
Etchegoyen said fears over security at the Rio Games had &quot;gone up a notch&quot; &nbsp;after the attack in Nice, where a Tunisian-born man drove a 19-tonne white truck into a huge crowd gathered to watch the annual Bastille Day fireworks display on Thursday, leaving a gruesome trail of bodies in his wake. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re trading a little comfort for a lot more security,&quot; he told a press conference at the presidential offices. 
 
Brazilian intelligence officials met with French counterparts for a briefing on the Nice attack, he said. 
 
Defense Minister Raul Jungmann expressed &quot;worries&quot; over the Nice attack. 
 
&quot;This worry will translate to more checkpoints, security, staff and procedures being put in place,&quot; he told reporters at an air force base near the Rio international airport. 
 
Jungmann said Brazil is corresponding with all 106 countries sending representatives to the event&#39;s international intelligence center. 
 
&quot;As of now, none of these countries have informed us of a potential or concrete threat of a terrorist attack in Brazil,&quot; Jungmann said. 
 
Brazil is already on alert after the French military intelligence chief said France had been informed of a planned terror attack on its team at the Rio Olympics. 
 
In June, Brazil&#39;s intelligence service said it had detected Portuguese-language messages linked to the Islamic State group on an online forum. 
 
An even more explicit warning came after bloody attacks in Paris in November, when a French jihadist tweeted that Brazil was the &quot;next target.&quot; 
 
Jungmann said officials will supervise the Olympic delegations based on the security threat they face, with countries including the United States and France labeled as high-risk. 
 
&quot;The dozen or so countries in that group will have special accompaniment,&quot; Jungmann said. 
 
Simulation exercises&nbsp; 
 
Security services staged simulation exercises in Rio to test counterterrorism response plans. 
 
Another exercise on &quot;confronting external threats&quot; is planned for today at the railway station in Deodoro, one of four Olympic zones in Rio along with Maracana, Copacabana and Barra da Tijuca. 
 
Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes and Olympic organizing committee president Carlos Nuzman met with federal and regional government officials to assess plans, notably discussing a potential increase in street blockades. 
 
(AFP) 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

The country had already planned to deploy 85,000 cops, soldiers, double the number used in 2012 London Games

Brazil said on Friday that it will bolster security for next month's Olympics in Rio following the truck attack in the French city of Nice. Brazil's interim president Michel Temer held an emergency meeting with his intelligence chief and members of his cabinet late Friday to weigh the next steps after the Nice attack, which killed at least 84 people. As he left the meeting, intelligence chief Sergio Etchegoyen said new security measures would include extra checkpoints, barricades and traffic restrictions. Brazil had already planned to deploy 85,000 police and soldiers to provide security for the Olympics, running August 5-21, which is double the number used in the 2012 London Games. Heightened fears, heightened security Etchegoyen said fears over security at the Rio Games had "gone up a notch" after the attack in Nice, where a Tunisian-born man drove a 19-tonne white truck into a huge crowd gathered to watch the annual Bastille Day fireworks display on Thursday, leaving a gruesome trail of bodies in his wake. "We're trading a little comfort for a lot more security," he told a press conference at the presidential offices. Brazilian intelligence officials met with French counterparts for a briefing on the Nice attack, he said. Defense Minister Raul Jungmann expressed "worries" over the Nice attack. "This worry will translate to more checkpoints, security, staff and procedures being put in place," he told reporters at an air force base near the Rio international airport. Jungmann said Brazil is corresponding with all 106 countries sending representatives to the event's international intelligence center. "As of now, none of these countries have informed us of a potential or concrete threat of a terrorist attack in Brazil," Jungmann said. Brazil is already on alert after the French military intelligence chief said France had been informed of a planned terror attack on its team at the Rio Olympics. In June, Brazil's intelligence service said it had detected Portuguese-language messages linked to the Islamic State group on an online forum. An even more explicit warning came after bloody attacks in Paris in November, when a French jihadist tweeted that Brazil was the "next target." Jungmann said officials will supervise the Olympic delegations based on the security threat they face, with countries including the United States and France labeled as high-risk. "The dozen or so countries in that group will have special accompaniment," Jungmann said. Simulation exercises Security services staged simulation exercises in Rio to test counterterrorism response plans. Another exercise on "confronting external threats" is planned for today at the railway station in Deodoro, one of four Olympic zones in Rio along with Maracana, Copacabana and Barra da Tijuca. Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes and Olympic organizing committee president Carlos Nuzman met with federal and regional government officials to assess plans, notably discussing a potential increase in street blockades. (AFP)

Brazil to bolster Olympics security to quell concerns after Nice attack

An app launched last month by the French&nbsp;government&nbsp;to alert users to attacks failed to flash a warning until more than three hours after a truck rammed into crowds in the Riviera city of Nice on Bastille day, the interior ministry said.

The app, called SAIP, was launched by the interior ministry just before the Euro 2016 soccer championship. It was&nbsp;supposed to flash a warning on a user&#39;s mobilephone screen in case of&nbsp;an attack close to their location or suspicion of an imminent strike.

The app did not send its first notification until 0134 am local time (2334 GMT), more than three hours after the 31-year-old&nbsp;Tunisian drove down the Promenade des Anglais seaside boulevard, killing 84 people and injuring scores more.

&quot;Information related to the attack in Nice on July 14 was sent out much too late by the SAIP app,&quot; the interior ministry said in a statement, adding that the app&#39;s designers had been summoned to a crisis meeting on Friday afternoon.

&quot;An action plan has been demanded without delay so that such an incident cannot happen again,&quot; the ministry said.

The message prepared by the local prefecture was ready to go at about 23:15, but a technical glitch prevented the app designed by French company Deveryware to send out the warning, Les Echos newspaper said, citing&nbsp;government&nbsp;sources.

Deveryware did not immediately return a request for comment.

One Nice-based Twitter user called Nathan Lellouche, who posted a picture of the app showing a &quot;no incident ongoing&quot; message the night of the attack, tweeted: &quot;This app had one job and it doesn&#39;t even do it.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

The app, called SAIP, was launched just before the Euro 2016 championship to flash a warning in case of an attack in nearby location

An app launched last month by the French government to alert users to attacks failed to flash a warning until more than three hours after a truck rammed into crowds in the Riviera city of Nice on Bastille day, the interior ministry said. The app, called SAIP, was launched by the interior ministry just before the Euro 2016 soccer championship. It was supposed to flash a warning on a user's mobilephone screen in case of an attack close to their location or suspicion of an imminent strike. The app did not send its first notification until 0134 am local time (2334 GMT), more than three hours after the 31-year-old Tunisian drove down the Promenade des Anglais seaside boulevard, killing 84 people and injuring scores more. "Information related to the attack in Nice on July 14 was sent out much too late by the SAIP app," the interior ministry said in a statement, adding that the app's designers had been summoned to a crisis meeting on Friday afternoon. "An action plan has been demanded without delay so that such an incident cannot happen again," the ministry said. The message prepared by the local prefecture was ready to go at about 23:15, but a technical glitch prevented the app designed by French company Deveryware to send out the warning, Les Echos newspaper said, citing government sources. Deveryware did not immediately return a request for comment. One Nice-based Twitter user called Nathan Lellouche, who posted a picture of the app showing a "no incident ongoing" message the night of the attack, tweeted: "This app had one job and it doesn't even do it." (Reuters)

Government app failed to send warning until 3 hours after Nice attack

Neighbours of the man suspected to have killed scores of people in a truck attack on the Nice seafront described him on Friday as a loner with no visible religious affiliation, as forensic experts searched his flat. 
 
AFP reporters interviewed about a dozen neighbours of the man, named by police as 31-year-old Franco-Tunisian Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, whose identity papers were found in the truck. 
 
They portrayed him as a solitary figure who rarely spoke and did not even return greetings when their paths crossed in the four-storey block, located in a working-class neighbourhood of Nice. 
 
Sebastien, a neighbour who spoke on condition that his full name was not used, said Lahouaiej-Bouhlel did not seem overtly religious, often dressed in shorts and sometimes wore work boots. 
 
He had a van parked nearby and owned a bike which he brought up into his first-floor apartment. 
 
Of those who were interviewed, only one, a neighbour on the ground floor, said she had had any concerns about him -- he was &quot;a good-looking man who kept giving my two daughters the eye&quot;. 
 
Police investigators and forensic experts entered his apartment about 9.30 am (0730 GMT) with an armed police intervention unit in support&nbsp;and brought out bags of material later. 
 
At least 84 were killed when the white 19-tonne truck slammed into the crowd on the Promenade des Anglais, Nice&#39;s glitzy beachfront, as they gathered to watch a firework display on France&#39;s national day. 
 
A source close to the investigation said an &quot;inactive&quot; grenade was found inside the vehicle as well as &quot;several fake rifles.&quot; 
 
President Francois Hollande has declared the attack was of &quot;an undeniable terrorist nature&quot;. 
 
&quot;Investigations are currently underway to establish if the individual acted alone or if he had accomplices who might have fled,&quot; interior ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said. 
 
(AFP)

A neighbour said Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, a Franco-Tunisian, was a good-looking man and kept giving her two daughters the eye

Neighbours of the man suspected to have killed scores of people in a truck attack on the Nice seafront described him on Friday as a loner with no visible religious affiliation, as forensic experts searched his flat. AFP reporters interviewed about a dozen neighbours of the man, named by police as 31-year-old Franco-Tunisian Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, whose identity papers were found in the truck. They portrayed him as a solitary figure who rarely spoke and did not even return greetings when their paths crossed in the four-storey block, located in a working-class neighbourhood of Nice. Sebastien, a neighbour who spoke on condition that his full name was not used, said Lahouaiej-Bouhlel did not seem overtly religious, often dressed in shorts and sometimes wore work boots. He had a van parked nearby and owned a bike which he brought up into his first-floor apartment. Of those who were interviewed, only one, a neighbour on the ground floor, said she had had any concerns about him -- he was "a good-looking man who kept giving my two daughters the eye". Police investigators and forensic experts entered his apartment about 9.30 am (0730 GMT) with an armed police intervention unit in support and brought out bags of material later. At least 84 were killed when the white 19-tonne truck slammed into the crowd on the Promenade des Anglais, Nice's glitzy beachfront, as they gathered to watch a firework display on France's national day. A source close to the investigation said an "inactive" grenade was found inside the vehicle as well as "several fake rifles." President Francois Hollande has declared the attack was of "an undeniable terrorist nature". "Investigations are currently underway to establish if the individual acted alone or if he had accomplices who might have fled," interior ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet said. (AFP)

Nice truck attack suspect is a loner, say his neighbours

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said today&nbsp;he was reassessing security levels in the British capital in the wake of the Bastille Day attack in Nice.

Offering his sympathies to the people of Nice over the &quot;unspeakable act of terror on a day of celebration&quot;, Khan said.&nbsp;&quot;Today we will be reviewing our own safety measures in light of this attack.&quot;

Speaking during a visit to Gatwick Airport he added,&nbsp;&quot;Londoners today stand united with Nice and all of France in our grief.&quot;

&quot;They will not win. Not in France, not in London, not anywhere.&quot;

&quot;We will defeat their poisonous and twisted ideology.&quot;

While Paris and Brussels have both suffered devastating jihadist attacks in the past year, Britain has been spared a major assault since the July 2005 bombings in London&#39;s public transport system.

After the November attacks in Paris, in which 130 were killed, English football fans attending a France-England game memorably sang the French national anthem, the Marseillaise, to show solidarity with their neighbours. 
 
(AFP)

'They (the attackers) will not win. Not in France, not in London, not anywhere,' he said

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said today he was reassessing security levels in the British capital in the wake of the Bastille Day attack in Nice. Offering his sympathies to the people of Nice over the "unspeakable act of terror on a day of celebration", Khan said. "Today we will be reviewing our own safety measures in light of this attack." Speaking during a visit to Gatwick Airport he added, "Londoners today stand united with Nice and all of France in our grief." "They will not win. Not in France, not in London, not anywhere." "We will defeat their poisonous and twisted ideology." While Paris and Brussels have both suffered devastating jihadist attacks in the past year, Britain has been spared a major assault since the July 2005 bombings in London's public transport system. After the November attacks in Paris, in which 130 were killed, English football fans attending a France-England game memorably sang the French national anthem, the Marseillaise, to show solidarity with their neighbours. (AFP)

Will review capital's safety after Nice attack, says London mayor Sadiq Khan

Terrified revellers screamed as a truck careered into a crowd of fireworks spectators in Nice, turning Bastille Day celebrations into a night of horror. 
 
AFP correspondent Robert Holloway was among the crowds celebrating France&#39;s national day on Nice&#39;s Promenade des Anglais when the nightmare began. 
 
He had to shield his face from flying debris as the truck plunged two kilometres (1.3 miles) along the French Riviera resort&#39;s palm-fringed beachfront, mowing people down in its wake. 
 
&quot;It was absolute chaos,&quot; Holloway said. 
 
&quot;We saw people hit and bits of debris flying around. I had to protect my face from flying debris.&quot; 
 
At least 80 people have been killed in what French President Francois Hollande has branded a terrorist attack. 
 
Bodies lay covered in sheets on what is usually a bustling seven-kilometre strip curving along Nice&#39;s clear blue coast, attracting tourists from around the world. 
 
A child&#39;s doll lay abandoned next to one of the dead, as Hollande confirmed that several children were among the victims. 
 
In the early hours of Friday, the truck itself sat finally immobilised in front of the luxury Palais de la Mediterranee hotel, badly damaged with its tyres burst and multiple bullet holes in its windscreen. 
 
The driver had fired a pistol several times before being shot dead by police, regional chief Christian Estrosi said. 
 
All hell broke loose 
 
A witness named Nader told BFM television he had seen the whole attack from start to finish, and had initially thought the driver had &quot;lost control&quot;. 
 
&quot;I was in the street. He stopped just in front of me after he (crushed) a lot of people,&quot; he said. &quot;We were trying to speak to the driver to get him to stop. 
 
&quot;He looked nervous. There was a girl under the car, he smashed her. The guy next to me pulled her out,&quot; he said in broken English. 
 
Nader said he saw the driver pull out a gun and start shooting at police. 
 
&quot;They killed him and his head was out the window.&quot; 
 
People screamed and scattered as the truck veered down the beachfront where thousands of adults and children had gathered for the fireworks. 
 
&quot;For a big truck like that to get actually onto the promenade and then to go in a fairly straight line along there, looked to me like a very deliberate act,&quot; Holloway said. 
 
&quot;It was about 100 metres from me and I had a few seconds to get out of the way.&quot; 
 
Several witnesses described how people hurled themselves off the promenade onto the beach below to escape the path of the truck. 
 
Marie, a 37-year-old security guard at the nearby beachfront Massena Museum which itself hosted Bastille Day festivities just hours before the attack described the panic as people tried to flee. 
 
&quot;We saw hundreds of people rushing to get shelter,&quot; she told AFP, still stunned. 
 
&quot;There were children, people got trampled.&quot; 
 
A single high-heeled shoe lay on a nearby road, lost in the panic. 
 
The city streets were quiet as dawn approached, with the exception of the many soldiers and members of the security forces out on patrol. 
 
Witness Roy Calley, who said he lived 200 metres from the promenade, told the BBC there was &quot;all hell breaking loose&quot; and the situation was &quot;pretty horrendous&quot;. 
 
&quot;It was a celebratory atmosphere, it was fun, people were enjoying themselves. 
 
Suddenly I heard a huge, what I can only describe as maybe an explosion or a crash. 
 
A lot of people were screaming. That was followed by what I thought were maybe gunshots.&quot; 
 
David Cody, a producer for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation who was at the scene, added: &quot;People were tripping over in the commotion, there was a lot of panic. 
 
&quot;People were trying to get into hotels, any businesses that were open, trying to take shelter, because it was unclear what was happening. 
 
&quot;With each bang that we heard behind us, people perhaps started to go a bit faster, people were tripping over. It was a very chaotic scene.&quot; 
 
Earlier in the evening, as the crowds enjoyed the fireworks, lightning had flashed in the skies over Nice. 
 
(AFP)

Later, bodies lay covered in sheets on what is usually a bustling 7-km strip curving along Nice's clear blue coast

Terrified revellers screamed as a truck careered into a crowd of fireworks spectators in Nice, turning Bastille Day celebrations into a night of horror. AFP correspondent Robert Holloway was among the crowds celebrating France's national day on Nice's Promenade des Anglais when the nightmare began. He had to shield his face from flying debris as the truck plunged two kilometres (1.3 miles) along the French Riviera resort's palm-fringed beachfront, mowing people down in its wake. "It was absolute chaos," Holloway said. "We saw people hit and bits of debris flying around. I had to protect my face from flying debris." At least 80 people have been killed in what French President Francois Hollande has branded a terrorist attack. Bodies lay covered in sheets on what is usually a bustling seven-kilometre strip curving along Nice's clear blue coast, attracting tourists from around the world. A child's doll lay abandoned next to one of the dead, as Hollande confirmed that several children were among the victims. In the early hours of Friday, the truck itself sat finally immobilised in front of the luxury Palais de la Mediterranee hotel, badly damaged with its tyres burst and multiple bullet holes in its windscreen. The driver had fired a pistol several times before being shot dead by police, regional chief Christian Estrosi said. All hell broke loose A witness named Nader told BFM television he had seen the whole attack from start to finish, and had initially thought the driver had "lost control". "I was in the street. He stopped just in front of me after he (crushed) a lot of people," he said. "We were trying to speak to the driver to get him to stop. "He looked nervous. There was a girl under the car, he smashed her. The guy next to me pulled her out," he said in broken English. Nader said he saw the driver pull out a gun and start shooting at police. "They killed him and his head was out the window." People screamed and scattered as the truck veered down the beachfront where thousands of adults and children had gathered for the fireworks. "For a big truck like that to get actually onto the promenade and then to go in a fairly straight line along there, looked to me like a very deliberate act," Holloway said. "It was about 100 metres from me and I had a few seconds to get out of the way." Several witnesses described how people hurled themselves off the promenade onto the beach below to escape the path of the truck. Marie, a 37-year-old security guard at the nearby beachfront Massena Museum which itself hosted Bastille Day festivities just hours before the attack described the panic as people tried to flee. "We saw hundreds of people rushing to get shelter," she told AFP, still stunned. "There were children, people got trampled." A single high-heeled shoe lay on a nearby road, lost in the panic. The city streets were quiet as dawn approached, with the exception of the many soldiers and members of the security forces out on patrol. Witness Roy Calley, who said he lived 200 metres from the promenade, told the BBC there was "all hell breaking loose" and the situation was "pretty horrendous". "It was a celebratory atmosphere, it was fun, people were enjoying themselves. Suddenly I heard a huge, what I can only describe as maybe an explosion or a crash. A lot of people were screaming. That was followed by what I thought were maybe gunshots." David Cody, a producer for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation who was at the scene, added: "People were tripping over in the commotion, there was a lot of panic. "People were trying to get into hotels, any businesses that were open, trying to take shelter, because it was unclear what was happening. "With each bang that we heard behind us, people perhaps started to go a bit faster, people were tripping over. It was a very chaotic scene." Earlier in the evening, as the crowds enjoyed the fireworks, lightning had flashed in the skies over Nice. (AFP)

Terrified revellers screamed as monster truck left death and destruction in its wake

An attacker who drove a heavy truck into crowds in the French city of Nice killing at least 84 came from the Tunisian town of Msaken which he last visited four years ago, Tunisian security sources said today.

The man, identified by French police sources as 31-year-old Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, was not known by the Tunisian authorities to hold radical or Islamist views, the sources said.

Bouhlel was married and&nbsp;had three children, they said. The sources did not say when he had last been resident in Tunisia.

Msaken is about 10 km outside the coastal city of Sousse.

Tunisia&#39;s consul in Nice said one of the 84 victims of the attack had been identified as Tunisian national, Bilal Labawi,&nbsp;and that officials were working to check for other Tunisian nationals among the casualties, state news agency TAP reported.

The Tunisian government issued a statement condemning the attack &quot;in the strongest possible terms&quot;.

&quot;Tunisia stands by France in its fight against terrorism and supports any measure taken by the French government to protect its territory and the security of its citizens and visitors,&quot; the statement said.

Like France, Tunisia has also suffered badly from militant Islamist attacks in recent years. On June 23, 2015, a gunman killed 38, mostly British holidaymakers, on a beach in Sousse, in an attack that dealt a heavy blow to its tourism industry, which accounts for 8 per&nbsp;cent of national output. 
 
(Reuters)

Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel was married, with three children. He was not known by Tunisian authorities to hold radical or Islamist views

An attacker who drove a heavy truck into crowds in the French city of Nice killing at least 84 came from the Tunisian town of Msaken which he last visited four years ago, Tunisian security sources said today. The man, identified by French police sources as 31-year-old Mohamed Lahouaiej-Bouhlel, was not known by the Tunisian authorities to hold radical or Islamist views, the sources said. Bouhlel was married and had three children, they said. The sources did not say when he had last been resident in Tunisia. Msaken is about 10 km outside the coastal city of Sousse. Tunisia's consul in Nice said one of the 84 victims of the attack had been identified as Tunisian national, Bilal Labawi, and that officials were working to check for other Tunisian nationals among the casualties, state news agency TAP reported. The Tunisian government issued a statement condemning the attack "in the strongest possible terms". "Tunisia stands by France in its fight against terrorism and supports any measure taken by the French government to protect its territory and the security of its citizens and visitors," the statement said. Like France, Tunisia has also suffered badly from militant Islamist attacks in recent years. On June 23, 2015, a gunman killed 38, mostly British holidaymakers, on a beach in Sousse, in an attack that dealt a heavy blow to its tourism industry, which accounts for 8 per cent of national output. (Reuters)

Nice truck attacker was from Tunisian town of Msaken

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