French Soldier Stabbed In Neck In Paris
 

A French soldier on patrol in Paris has been stabbed in the throat by a man believed to be of North-African origin.

The 23-year-old soldier was injured during the attack but his life is not in danger, the Interior Ministry said.

French daily Le Parisien cited police sources as saying the suspected attacker was a bearded man, about 30-years-old and was wearing an Arab-style garment under his jacket.

He fled the scene and is being sought by police.

The soldier was with two colleagues patrolling the business area of La Defense as part of France's Vigipirate anti-terrorist surveillance plan when he was reportedly attacked from behind. He was in uniform and was armed.

Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the soldier had been targeted because he was in the army.

"They tried to kill the soldier because he was a soldier," he told reporters, adding that France would continue its "implacable" fight against terrorism.

The stabbing comes three days after British soldier Drummer Lee Rigby was hacked to death on a London street in broad daylight in a suspected terrorist attack that has raised fears of potential copycat strikes.

There was no immediate confirmation of any link to the Paris attack but French President Francois Hollande said authorities are investigating all possibilities.

He said: "There could be a link, but we will look at all the elements."

French security forces have been on heightened alert since their country launched a military intervention in the African nation of Mali in January to regain territory seized by Islamic radicals.

Last year, three French paratroopers were killed by a man police described as a French-born Islamic extremist who then went on to strike a Jewish school in the south of France, killing four more people.


Sky

awwwww :sad:

what the hell is going on right now

at least he is alive

What on earth is going on lately with all these attacks.

Glad to hear the soldier will be ok, still an awful thing for him to experience though.

things like this happen all the time its a sad world

Exactly my thoughts. Is this a new wave of attrocities that soldiers are going to be subjected to?

I hope there are no more attacks, otherwise I can imagine a global panic will happen.

what could be done to help keep the soldiers safe in their own countries?

sometimes soldiers true on there own army there nothing that can be done

I seriously do not know, but fanatical minorities are currently making things worse for the majorities. How do they think they are going to make any situation better from such acts? They can get their 5 minutes from the media but killing isn't the answer. Is this what we've come to? Barbarity does not solve anything. Maybe countries like ours should just not intervene in others affairs anymore as any attempted help is just seen as aggression from some. That's not the answer too though. It makes my blood boil and it poses so many questions. Too many that nobody will ever have the answer to.

Those are my thoughts too... I sincerely hope not. This is awful news.

The stabbing of a French soldier in Paris bore the hallmarks of Islamist terrorism and may have been inspired by the Woolwich attack, French officials have said.

Police are on the hunt for a bearded man aged about 35, possibly of North African origin, who fled into a crowded train station after attacking the soldier from behind.

"There are indeed elements that lead us to believe it could be an act of terrorism," Interior Minister Manuel Valls told France 5 television. He declined further comment citing the investigation.

The 23-year-old soldier survived the attack, carried out only days after Drummer Lee Rigby was hacked to death by two suspected Islamic extremists.

A spokesman for police union UNSA, Christophe Crepin, said there were similarities with the Woolwich attack.

"I think this person wanted to imitate what happened in London," he said.

His comment echoed remarks by the defence minister that the French soldier had been targeted because of his uniform.


Sky

Yes good job this one did not Die.
France invaded Mali in Africa
so they are expecting more attacks.