On July 15, 2024, a French soldier participating in Operation Sentinelle was stabbed at the Gare de l’Est train station in Paris, less than two weeks before the opening of the 2024 Paris Olympics. The soldier suffered non-life-threatening injuries to the shoulder, according to Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin.The attacker, identified as a 40-year-old French national born in the Democratic Republic of Congo, was immediately arrested. He reportedly has a history of serious psychiatric disorders and was previously convicted of murder in 2018. During the attack, the suspect allegedly shouted ‘God is great’ in French and claimed he acted because ‘militaries kill people in his country’.This incident has raised security concerns as Paris prepares for the Olympic Games, set to begin on July 26. In response to the attack, Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu expressed support for the injured soldier and emphasized the continued commitment of the armed forces to ensuring the security of the French people.Operation Sentinelle, a 3,000-strong anti-terrorism unit formed in 2015 following the Charlie Hebdo attack, has been patrolling sensitive sites in Paris. For the upcoming Olympics, France plans to deploy 45,000 police officers and over 10,000 soldiers to ensure security.As the investigation continues, authorities are working to determine the full circumstances and motivations behind this attack, which comes at a time of heightened alert in France.
Key points
- A French soldier was stabbed at Gare de l’Est in Paris during an anti-terrorism patrol.
- The attack occurred less than two weeks before the 2024 Paris Olympics, raising security concerns.
- The attacker, a French national of Congolese origin, has a history of mental health issues and a previous murder conviction.
- France plans to deploy 45,000 police officers and over 10,000 soldiers for Olympic security.
Contradictions👾There are slight discrepancies in the reported age of the attacker, with most sources stating 40 years old, while one source reported 35 years old.