The driver who rammed his car into a crowd in western France on Wednesday is suspected of “self-radicalisation” and had “explicit religious references” at home, French interior minister Laurent Nunez said on Thursday.
“Based on a number of factors that exist with this individual, and the fact that he actually shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’, there are religious references in his case that are quite clear and quite explicit”, Nunez said.
He added, however, it wasn’t clear at this stage if religious motivations were behind the attack, which injured five people on Oleron island off France’s Atlantic coast.
“It is the national terrorism prosecutor’s office that will determine, through a psychiatric evaluation, which took place yesterday after two searches, and a review of telephone records, whether these elements were the trigger for the violent action we have seen”, Nunez said.
Two of the people injured in the attack remain in “absolute health emergency”, he said.
Reuters
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