France: Fatal stabbing of teacher triggers high alert, 7,000 soldiers to be deployed

A Chechen-origin man fatally stabbed a teacher on Friday (Oct 13) in northeastern France. The attack was quickly denounced by French President Emmanuel Macron as an act of “Islamic terror.” Now, the country’s Interior Ministry has claimed that the attack in the town of Arras might be linked to the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas.

There was “probably a link between what’s happening in the Middle East and this incident,” said Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin.

France has subsequently raised the alert level in the country to the highest, with authorities saying it was not triggered by one particular incident. The country has also decided to deploy 7,000 soldiers across the country to maintain stability and peace.The deployment of the soldiers from Operation Sentinelle will be completed by Monday evening, according to the Elysee presidential palace.

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Anti-terrorism prosecutor's office investigating the case

The investigation of the case has been handed over to the anti-terrorism prosecutor's office. The suspect, who was later arrested by police, has been identified as Mohamed M.

He was a former student of the Lycee Gambetta High School, where the attack happened. He shouted “Allahu Akbar” before killing the teacher.

The 20-year-old man featured on a state watchlist of people identified as a potential security risk. The list carries thousands of names but only some hundreds are monitored.Mohamed M was amongst those being monitored and his phone had also been tapped. However, there was no indication that he could carry out such a fatal attack.

A security source was quoted by Reuters as saying that an elder brother of the alleged assailant was serving time in prison for links to Islamist militant networks and glorification of terrorist acts.

Macron’s appeal

Only a day earlier, Macron had urged the French to remain united and refrain from bringing the Israel-Hamas conflict home.

Visiting the site of the attack, Macron paid his respects to the dead teacher, Dominique Bernard, whose body still lay under a cover surrounded by a pool of blood.

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"(He) stepped in and undoubtedly saved a lot of lives himself," Macron said. "Our choice is made not to give in to terror, not to let anything divide us."

Terrorist attacks are not uncommon in France, with Islamist attacks taking place in the country very frequently over the years. The worst of all came in November 2015, when a group of gunmen and suicide bombers simultaneously assaulted entertainment venues and cafes in Paris.

(With inputs from agencies)

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