2023 Arras school stabbing

Last updated

Arras school stabbing
Location Arras, Hauts-de-France, France
Coordinates 50°17′16″N2°46′34″E / 50.2878°N 2.7761°E / 50.2878; 2.7761
Date13 October 2023 (2023-10-13)
Attack type
 Mass stabbing
Weapon Knife
Deaths1
Injured3
Motive Islamic extremism [1]

On 13 October 2023, a mass stabbing occurred at the Gambetta-Carnot secondary school in Arras, Pas-de-Calais, Hauts-de-France, France. One person was killed, and three others were seriously wounded.

Contents

The suspect was previously known to the French security services for his involvement with radical Islamism.[ citation needed ]

Background

Amid the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, Hamas leader Khaled Mashal called for a global day of protest on 13 October, which the media misrepresented as a 'Global Day of Jihad'. [2] [3] The pronouncement led to widespread fears for the safety of both global Jewish communities, as well as the general public, resulting in numerous cancellations of public events, as well as increases in security and policing. [4] [5] [6] As a precaution, numerous schools, both public and Jewish, were closed for the day. [7] [8]

Attack

At around 11:00 CEST on 13 October 2023, the attack began in the school's car park. [9] [10] According to witnesses the suspect was heard shouting "Allahu akbar" during the attack. [11] The attacker was confronted by a teacher and other members of staff including the headmaster before being detained by police. [9] [12]

Casualties

A French language teacher, Dominique Bernard, was killed while another teacher, a security guard and a cleaner were seriously injured. [13] [14]

Suspect

Police said that the suspected attacker was a Russian man of Ingush origin [15] who was born in 2003 and had moved to France with his family in 2008. [9] Police had arrested him the previous day on suspicion of radicalism. [13] The suspect was known to the French security services for his involvement with radical Islamism; he was arrested by police. [16] The suspect was listed at a state list of potential dangerous persons and the domestic secret service DGSI is said to have, among other things, intercepted his telephone conversations. [17] The suspect is a former student of the school and his younger brother was also detained on the same day. [18] The prosecutor said that the attacker had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and expressed his hatred for France. [19]

Aftermath

The funeral of Bernard was held in the Arras cathedral with screens used to broadcast the hundred watching outside. Bernard was posthumously awarded the Legion of Honor by French President Macron. [20]

Immediately after the attack France mobilized at least 7,000 soldiers to be stationed around the country for an increase in security. [21] Classes were canceled at the Gambetta-Carnot school where Bernard taught, and bomb threats were seen across the country, in airports, the Louvre Museum and the Palace of Versailles. [20] The school was subject to a bomb threat after Bernard's death but as it had only been open to allow pupils and staff to pay tribute to Bernard and other victims, the process of evacuation was quick. [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

This page is a partial listing of incidents of violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Army of Islam (Gaza)</span> Islamic militant organization in Palestine

Army of Islam, officially The Army of Islam Group in Jerusalem, is a Salafi Jihadist militant organization in the Gaza Strip. It was founded by the Doghmush clan in 2006, and is based in the Tzabra neighborhood in the center of the Gaza Strip. The group has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the UAE.

The 2010 Palestinian militancy campaign was a coordinated effort by 13 Palestinian militant groups, led by Islamist group Hamas, to derail peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The campaign consisted of attacks against Israelis in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Israel in which, according to a Hamas declaration in early September, "all options are open". The participating groups also included Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Popular Resistance Committees and an unnamed splinter group of Fatah. Some Israeli and Palestinian officials and analysts familiar with Hamas believe that the true target of the campaign is the Palestinian Authority, which is led by Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sinai insurgency</span> Defunct insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula

The Sinai insurgency was an insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt, launched by Islamist militants against Egyptian security forces, which also included attacks on civilians. The insurgency began during the Egyptian Crisis, during which the longtime Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak was overthrown in the 2011 Egyptian revolution.

Sergeant Almog Shiloni of the Israel Defense Forces was killed on 10 November 2014 after he was stabbed multiple times at Tel Aviv HaHagana Railway Station. He died in hospital from his wounds. Shiloni was off-duty, but in uniform and armed at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015–2016 wave of violence in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict</span> Notable increase of violence in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict

An increase of violence occurred in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict starting in the autumn of 2015 and lasting into the first half of 2016. It was called the "Intifada of the Individuals" by Israeli sources, the Knife Intifada, Stabbing Intifada or Jerusalem Intifada by international sources because of the many stabbings in Jerusalem, or Habba by Palestinian sources. 38 Israelis and 235 Palestinians were killed in the violence. 558 Israelis and thousands of Palestinians were injured.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Islamic terrorism in Europe</span> Islamic terrorist attacks and plots in Europe

Islamic terrorism has been carried out in Europe by the jihadist groups Islamic State (ISIL) or Al-Qaeda as well as Islamist lone wolves since the late 20th century. Europol, which releases the annual EU Terrorism Situation and Trend report (TE-SAT), used the term "Islamist terrorism" in reports for the years 2006–2010, "religiously inspired terrorism" for the years 2011–2014, and has used "jihadist terrorism" since then. Europol defines jihadism as "a violent ideology exploiting traditional Islamic concepts".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Opération Sentinelle</span> French anti-terrorism military operation

Opération Sentinelle is an ongoing French military operation with 10,000 soldiers and 4,700 police and gendarmes deployed since the aftermath of the January 2015 Île-de-France attacks, with the objective of protecting the deemed sensitive "points" of the territory from terrorism. It was reinforced during the November 2015 Paris attacks, and is part of a state of emergency in France due to continued terror threats and attacks, until the state of emergency ended on 1 November 2017. On 13 October 2023, France raised its security alert to the highest level, and the day after it deployed 7,000 soldiers following the Arras school stabbing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bishop International Airport attack</span> 2017 stabbing in Flint, Michigan, US

On June 21, 2017, Airport Police Lieutenant Jeff Neville was stabbed in the neck at Bishop International Airport in the city of Flint, Michigan, in the United States. The assailant, Amor Ftouhi, yelled, "Allahu akbar" during the attack. Ftouhi was travelling on a Canadian passport. Numerous law enforcement agencies responded and the airport was evacuated. Bomb sniffing dogs searched the evacuated airport for evidence of a larger-scale attack, but found nothing. Ftouhi was charged with committing violence at an international airport and interfering with airport security. He was later charged with committing an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries. He was found guilty of all three charges in November 2018, and was sentenced to life in federal prison in April 2019.

On 12 May 2018, a 20-year-old Chechnya-born French citizen, armed with a knife, killed one pedestrian and injured four others near the Palais Garnier opera house in Paris, France, before being fatally shot by police. The stabbings were in the area of Rue Saint-Augustin and Passage Choiseul. French President Emmanuel Macron said France had "paid once again the price of blood but will not cede an inch to the enemies of freedom." The suspect, identified as Khamzat Azimov, had been on a counter-terrorism watchlist since 2016. Amaq News Agency posted a video of a hooded person pledging allegiance to Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, claimed to be the attacker. Europol classified the attack as jihadist terrorism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Reading stabbings</span> Stabbing attack in Reading, England

On 20 June 2020, shortly before 19:00 BST, a man with a knife attacked people who were socialising in Forbury Gardens, Reading, Berkshire, United Kingdom. Three men died from their wounds, and three other people were seriously injured. Khairi Saadallah, a 25-year-old Libyan male refugee, was arrested shortly afterwards. He was charged with three counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder; he pleaded guilty. In January 2021, Saadallah was sentenced to a whole-life term.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Samuel Paty</span> 2020 murder by an Islamic terrorist in Éragny-sur-Oise, France

On 16 October 2020, Samuel Paty, a French secondary school teacher, was attacked and killed in Éragny-sur-Oise, Île-de-France, France, by an Islamic terrorist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Nice stabbing</span> Stabbing attack in France

On the morning of 29 October 2020, three people were killed in a stabbing attack at Notre-Dame de Nice, a Roman Catholic basilica in Nice, France. The alleged attacker, Tunisian man Brahim Aouissaoui, was shot by the police and taken into custody. Both French President Emmanuel Macron and the mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, said it was a terrorist attack attributed to Islamic extremism.

On March 22, 2022, four people were killed and two more were injured during a stabbing and vehicle-ramming attack by an Islamic State supporter in Beersheba, Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Hadera shooting</span> ISIL terrorist attack in Hadera, Israel

On 27 March 2022, two Islamic State gunmen opened fire at a bus stop in Hadera, Israel, killing two people and injuring twelve.

On 5 May 2022, a terror attack took place in El'ad, Central District, Israel, during Israel's Independence Day. Four civilians were murdered and several others were injured.

Events in the year 2022 in the Palestinian territories.

Events in the year 2023 in France.

Since 7 October 2023, numerous violent incidents prompted by the Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing Israel–Hamas war have been reported worldwide. They have accompanied a sharp increase in global antisemitism and Islamophobia, as well as anti-Israeli sentiment and anti-Palestinian sentiment or broader anti-Arab sentiment. Other people and groups have also been targeted, such as the Sikhs, who are commonly mistaken to be Muslims by their attackers.

References

  1. ↑ Pierre de Cossette (17 October 2023). "Attentat d'Arras : le suspect a réalisé une vidéo et un audio de revendication et d'allégeance à l'Etat islamique avant l'attaque". France Info. Archived from the original on 17 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023..
  2. ↑ "Global Knife Attack Frenzy as Hamas 'Day of Rage' Gets Underway". Yahoo News. 13 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  3. ↑ "Former Hamas chief calls for protests, neighbours to join war against Israel". Reuters.
  4. ↑ Frazao, Kristine (12 October 2023). "Former Hamas leader calls Friday 'Day of Jihad,' calls on Muslims to take to the streets". KEYE. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  5. ↑ "LAPD stepping up security amid call for 'Global Day of Jihad'". KTLA. 13 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  6. ↑ Wehner, Greg (12 October 2023). "NYC officials beef up police presence for Friday 'global day of Jihad' despite 'no specific, credible threats'". Fox News. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  7. ↑ Vainshtein, Annie. "Bay Area schools announced closures, increased security after 'Day Of Jihad" Call". San Francisco Chronicle.
  8. ↑ Bleakley, Caroline. "2 Las Vegas schools close Friday over 'Day of Jihad' safety concerns". KLAS Las Vegas.
  9. 1 2 3 Willsher, Kim (13 October 2023). "Teacher killed and two injured in stabbing at school in northern France". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  10. ↑ "France school stabbing: Here's what we know about the Arras attack". Reuters. 13 October 2023. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  11. ↑ Leicester, John; Petrequin, Samuel; Schaeffer, Jeffery (13 October 2023). "A teacher is dead and 2 people are wounded after a France stabbing attack that echoes 2020 killing". AP News. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  12. ↑ Ataman, Joseph (13 October 2023). "Teacher killed and several people wounded in France school knife attack". CNN. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  13. 1 2 "France school killing was terror attack, says Emmanuel Macron". Sky News. 13 October 2023. Archived from the original on 15 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  14. ↑ "France raises alert to highest level after teacher's fatal stabbing". France 24. 13 October 2023. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  15. ↑ Tarkhanov, A. (14 October 2023). "Террорист запросился обратно в школу: Ингуш зарезал французского учителя" [The terrorist asked to return to school: Ingush stabbed a French teacher to death]. Kommersant (in Russian). Moskva: Kommersant. p. 5. eISSN   1563-6380. ISSN   1561-347X. OCLC   244126120. Archived from the original on 2 November 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
  16. ↑ "Teacher killed in France school stabbing". BBC News. 13 October 2023. Archived from the original on 15 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  17. ↑ "Frankreich mobilisiert nach Messerattacke in Arras 7000 Soldaten für Patrouillen". Der Spiegel (in German). 14 October 2023. ISSN   2195-1349. Archived from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
  18. ↑ Rossignol, Pascal; Foroundi, Layli; Rose, Michael (13 October 2023). "Teacher killed in Islamist attack on French school, Macron says". Reuters. Archived from the original on 13 October 2023. Retrieved 13 October 2023.
  19. ↑ "French prosecutor says alleged attacker in school stabbing declared allegiance to Islamic State". Associated Press. 17 October 2023. Archived from the original on 18 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  20. 1 2 "France pays respects to teacher killed in school terror attack". France 24. 19 October 2023. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  21. ↑ Scaeffer, Jefferey; Charlton, Angela (14 October 2023). "France is deploying 7,000 troops after a deadly school stabbing by a suspected Islamic radical". AP News. Archived from the original on 19 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
  22. ↑ Ross, Alex (16 October 2023). "School where teacher was stabbed to death in France evacuated over bomb threat". The Independent. Archived from the original on 20 October 2023. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.