A man armed with a knife has been detained by national police in Lyon, following a suspected terrorist attack in Nice and an incident involving a knife-wielding assailant in Avignon.
The mayor of the Perrache district, located in the 2nd arrondissement of Lyon, announced on Thursday that law enforcement had arrested a man who was carrying a “long knife.”
“Thank you to the police for their effective intervention which made it possible to avoid a new tragedy!” tweeted Mayor Pierre Oliver.
The suspect was an Afghan national armed with a 30-centimeter knife, local media reported. He was detained after trying to board a streetcar.
Hours earlier, three people were killed at a church in Nice. The suspect shouted “Allahu Akbar” as he used a knife to attack the congregation. Later, French media reported that a knife-wielding man was fatally shot after trying to assault a group of police officers in the southeastern city of Avignon.
France has raised its terror alert system to the maximum level following the suspected terrorist attack in Nice.
Also on rt.com France raises national terror alert system to MAXIMUM level after Nice church attackLike this story? Share it with a friend!