TWO British tourists were among seven injured by a rampaging knifeman in Paris on Sunday night.
The attacker, reportedly in his 30s, was using child identity documents issued to an Afghan minor, according to claims made by an investigating source.
He was described as being of Pakistani or Afghan origin, and began “slashing passers-by” on the Loire Quay in the north of the city, according to reports.
Armed with a 15-inch blade and a metal bar, he first stabbed two men and a woman outside the MK2 cinema complex.
He then proceeded to a nearby street, where he attacked two British tourists, according to investigators.
One was particularly badly hurt after being “stabbed in the head”, while the other was “cut in the chest”.
Petanque players who saw what happened then tried to intervene, throwing metal balls at the attacker.
Officials said they do not believe the attack was linked to terrorism, but it followed a series of attacks in the city that were claimed by ISIS.
The area is reportedly well known for its immigrant communities, many of them Afghan, some sleeping rough as they try to get to the UK to claim asylum.
Some are minors travelling alone, although adults have reportedly been known to pose as children in the hope of getting priority treatment by authorities.
A witness said: “He was challenged by a group of petanque players who threw their metal balls at him.
“At least four of the balls hit him in the head, but they did not stop him carrying on with his rampage.
“It was then that the man cornered the two English tourists, who were unaware that he was carrying a knife.”
Police secure the area after seven people were wounded in knife attack downtown ParisBoth were stabbed with the 15-inch blade before a plain-clothes police officer intervened, and then a night patrol helped him arrest the man.
An investigating source said the suspect was conscious in hospital but had not not spoken since the attack.
The attacker was reportedly previously known to police.
The source said both Brits were still in hospital.
Four of those injured were reported to have sustained serious injuries, and one remained critical.
By Lauren Fruen and Peter Allen
More to follow:
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/worldnews/7216406/paris-attack-at-least-seven-injured-by-rampaging-knifeman-suspect-arrested/
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