Man shot after attacking three officers shouting ‘in the name of the Prophet’ in Cannes

From Metro and France 24 Photograph from the Mirror

Police officers in southern France were attacked by a knifeman this morning in a suspected terror attack. Three men narrowly avoided serious injury while sitting in a police car in the city of Cannes.

BFM TV, citing a police source, said the attacker opened the door of a police car stationed in front of the police station, stabbing the policeman at the wheel with a knife. He then tried to attack a second policeman in the car but a third policeman in the car fired his weapon, seriouly injuring the attacker  . . . who had previously threatened staff outside the main Police Commissariat in the town ‘in the name of the Prophet’.

They added: ‘He pulled open a car door and started stabbing…He had been shouting religious slogans referring to the Prophet throughout the attack. The knifeman is now in a critical condition in a hospital in Cannes.’

David Lisnard, the mayor of Cannes, said: ‘One of the officers responded with his gun. There are no deaths and the circumstances of the attack are being clarified.’

According to Le Figaro  the assailant is named Lakhdar B.  an Algerian born in 1984 who holds an Italian residence permit.

Both officials confirmed that specialist anti-terrorism magistrates were now leading the enquiry. The incident was confirmed by French interior minister Gerald Darmanin this morning.