Reacting to the deadly stabbing incident at a high school in Arras, French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the “barbarity of Islamist terrorism” that had struck the country, as reported by The New York Times on Saturday.
According to the report, the attack occurred at the Gambetta-Carnot public school in Arras, located in northern France, resulting in the tragic death of one teacher and injuries to two students.
In response to the incident, the authorities swiftly established a security perimeter around the school, and the city announced the suspension of all public events until further notice, as highlighted by The New York Times.
Addressing the press in Arras, Macron stressed, “Almost three years to the day after Samuel Paty’s murder, terrorism has struck again in a school.” He described the victim’s killing as “brutal and cowardly.”
Macron also commended the teacher and two others, another teacher, and a school employee, for their courageous efforts to stop the assailant. “We stand together and stand tall,” he added, according to The New York Times.
As per The Washington Post, citing witnesses, the attacker had reportedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest) during the attack. Similarly, the Visegrad 24 news agency reported, “Man yells ‘Allahu Akbar’ before stabbing a teacher to death and wounding another 2 in a high school in the French city of Arras.”
Notably, the terrorist group Hamas declared this Friday as the ‘Global Day of Rage.’
The incident comes amidst escalating tensions between Israel and Hamas, following the latter’s surprise attack on October 7, leading to a series of retaliatory strikes, as mentioned in the report.
Before President Macron’s remarks, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin also responded to the incident, confirming the location as Arras, a city in northern France. He posted on X (formerly Twitter), “A police operation took place at the Gambetta High School in Arras. The perpetrator was arrested by the police.”
The Washington Post, citing Europe 1, a radio station, reported that the alleged attacker was of Chechen origin and had a known association with radical Islam according to security services. French media reports indicated that the assailant was a former student at the school.
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