One Decapitated, Several Hurt in Suspected Islamist Attack in France

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  • W460
  • W460

A suspected Islamist pinned the severed head of his boss to the gates of a U.S.-owned gas factory in France Friday in what President Francois Hollande called a "terrorist" attack.

The alleged assailant, identified as 35-year-old married father-of-three Yassin Salhi, also smashed his vehicle into the Air Products factory, causing an explosion.

The grisly attack near France's second city of Lyon came on an especially bloody day worldwide, with at least 37 gunned down at a beach resort in Tunisia and 27 killed in a suicide bombing in Kuwait claimed by Islamic State extremists.

"The intent was without doubt to cause an explosion. It was a terrorist attack," said Hollande in Brussels, cutting short an EU summit to chair emergency meetings in Paris.

The victim was found with Arabic inscriptions scrawled on him and Islamic flags were also found on the site at the small town of Saint-Quentin-Fallavier, some 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Lyon.

The head of the victim, a 54-year-old local businessman, was "hung onto the fence surrounded by two Islamic flags bearing the Shahada, the profession of (Muslim) faith," said French prosecutor Francois Molins.

The attack was the first instance in France of a beheading during an attack -- which has become a trademark of the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

The gruesome killing came nearly six months after the Islamist attacks in and around Paris that left 17 people dead, starting with a shooting at satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

- 'Normal family life' -

Salhi had been known to security services for a number of years but did not have a criminal record, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said.

He had been investigated for links to radical Salafists but had never been identified as planning an attack.

One co-worker said he was mysterious and deceptively calm. "He was a wolf in sheep's clothing," Abdel Karim told RTL radio. 

Karim said Salhi had spoken to him in the past about Islamic State, "not to try recruit me for anything but simply to ask my opinion".

Molins said Salhi, his wife, his sister and one other man had been taken into custody.

The other man is being investigated on terrorism-related charges but his link to the attack is not clear. Molins said there was no indication that Salhi had an accomplice with him during the assault.

A woman identified as Salhi's wife told French radio: "On the news they are saying that it's a terrorist attack, but that's impossible. I know him, he's my husband. We have a normal family life." 

Molins said the victim was 54 and sources close to the investigation said he ran the delivery company that employed Salhi.

"Islamist terrorism has hit France again," Prime Minister Manuel Valls told reporters in Bogota, where he was on an official visit.

The attack shocked residents of Saint-Quentin-Fallavier.

"This is a small town and a large industrial zone. There's never been any concern in the region. We're all surprised," an employee at a nearby business told rolling news channel BMFTV.

Hollande ordered security tightened to the highest possible level in the region as a consequence of the attack.

The president was due to hold a second emergency meeting of key ministers at 0900 GMT on Saturday.

- 'Terror's blind hate' -

Salhi drove into the factory at 9:28am (0728 GMT) local time, and disappeared from the view of security cameras until 9:35am when they picked up the van accelerating towards one of two hangars, Molins explained.

A minute later a massive blast was heard. 

Firefighters were called and arrived at the site at 9:41am. At 10:00am they found the suspect inside one of the hangars, which contained bottles of gas, liquid oxygen and highly explosive acetone.

"Firefighters surprised the suspect while he was busy opening bottles of acetone," said Molins.

The blast destroyed part of the hangar and severely damaged the delivery van, which Molins said was sign of "a significant explosion."

For months, Europe has been on high alert for so-called "lone wolf" attacks by supporters of Islamic State, which has urged its followers to strike wherever they can.

France has been on edge since January 7 when two Islamist brothers attacked Charlie Hebdo, killing 12 people. 

A policewoman and four hostages in a Jewish supermarket were also killed during three days of attacks, which brought nearly four million people, including dozens of world leaders, onto the streets of France in a historic "march against terrorism."

World leaders reacted swiftly to the news of the latest attack, with Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy saying that "barbarism will always be confronted by unity among democrats."

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said his country stood united with France against "terror's blind hate" and in defense of "free society."

France, home to western Europe's biggest Muslim population, has seen hundreds of citizens travel to Iraq and Syria to fight alongside jihadist groups.

Earlier this week, the country passed a controversial new spying law granting sweeping powers to snoop on citizens.

Comments 8
Default-user-icon watchtower (Guest) 26 June 2015, 13:37

The lunatics have new flag to hoist, in the 20s, 30s it was the occult, in the 60s, 70s, 80 it was the Communist Marxist and the like, in the 90s it was the Neo Nazi now it the the isis islamic flag.

Thumb -phoenix1 26 June 2015, 16:39

Bachir Gemayel in his living warned the West that Lebanon was and remains a microcosm of the world, that what happens here today will translate into the world soon after. Well, look at what happened to the med, the gulf and now it's spreading to Europe itself. The Western leaders are so dumb at times that they see no further than the tip of their noses, and to add insult to injury, they have no guts. When Syria's popular revolt started, they hesitated to give the uprising the support that it required at the time paving the way for radical Islam to take over a noble revolution. Qatar, the KSA in their silly belief that they could topple Al Assad continued funding the terrorists of all kinds. Now until and unless the wave of terror reaches Europe and the West in full blown shape, they will not do what they have to do in the first place, kill off Islamic radicalism from its very birthplace. Their work is already cut out for them, they have Iraq and Syria to work on.

Thumb _mowaten_ 26 June 2015, 19:11

I would like to share your nombrilist view, but it did not start in Lebanon, and Bashir is dead, get over it.

Thumb -phoenix1 26 June 2015, 16:50

And countries like the KSA and Qatar don't seem to realize the imminent danger that they're playing with. You cannot finance and arm radicals, once they settle down in Syria and Iraq, their prime focus will be the KSA and Qatar, these are after all monarchies radicals profoundly despise. Whom will they turn to once the radicals come over? The KSA and Qatar must cut off all links with the radicals, if not then they'll have themselves to blame. To finish off IS and other radical groups, concerted international efforts need to be deployed, one of them is to take the fight to the terrorists without let or relent.

Thumb _mowaten_ 26 June 2015, 19:08

takfiris doing everything they can to wreck havoc in arab countries and make the entire world loathe muslims. who do they work for?

Default-user-icon _muwatin_ (Guest) 26 June 2015, 19:24

Hezballah did everything they can to wreck havoc all over the world and make the entire world loathe muslims. who do they work for?

Thumb _mowaten_ 26 June 2015, 19:10

Well done national.humble.unity, exposing the hypocrite for what he is.

"shiakiller" you're the very same as those deranged lunatics, you share their hateful sectarian views and limited intellect.

Default-user-icon Realtruth (Guest) 26 June 2015, 20:33

I love all u intelligent Lebanese Isis loving fucks keep preaching the ant Assad and anti hizbollah
Retric soon enough you will be massacred in ur own homes by these ISIS scum