Shortly before the Olympic Games Anti-terrorist soldier injured in knife attack in Paris

Shortly before the start of the Olympic Games, a soldier deployed for protection is injured in a knife attack in Paris. His life is not in danger. The attacker was arrested.

DPA

15.07.2024, 23:23

dpa

Just under two weeks before the start of the Olympic Games in Paris, a soldier deployed to protect against terrorism was injured in a knife attack at Gare d'Est station. The soldier, who was part of a patrol of the Sentinelle anti-terrorist unit, was stabbed but his life is not in danger, announced France's Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin in the evening. The attacker was arrested.

As the BFMTV channel reported, the soldier was injured in the shoulder. The background to the attack is still unclear.

Highest terror alert level

The highest terror alert level is currently in force in France. The soldiers of Operation Sentinelle are armed with assault rifles and deployed in groups in Paris and other locations to defend against threats such as terrorism. In the run-up to the Olympic Games, which begin on July 26, the police and military have massively increased their presence in Paris. Officers and armed forces have also been deployed outside the city center.

The Gare de l'Est station is one of the largest long-distance train stations in Paris. Trains from Germany arrive here from Stuttgart and Frankfurt, among other places. Knife attacks in Parisian train stations are not uncommon. Such incidents occur time and again, but are usually not terrorist-related. Most recently, at the beginning of February, a mentally disturbed man injured three people with a knife in the Gare de Lyon.

Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu expressed his condolences to the soldier. "Support and recognition for our armed forces, who are doing more than ever to keep the French people safe," the minister wrote on X.