The key points about the attack on soldiers
ADVERTISEMENTAt around 8:30 today a dark BMW sedan struck a group of soldiers as they were leaving their quarters in Levallois-Perret, north west Paris.
Witnesses said the car was progressing at a leisurely pace before suddenly accelerating and heading up the wrong side of the street before striking the group.
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The soldiers
The soldiers were part of Operation Sentinelle, part of France’s emergency measures which have fully armed soldiers patrolling public areas and perceived targets 24 hours a day.
Of around 12 personnel present, three were seriously injured, although their lives are not thought to be in danger. Three more were hurt less badly.
All belonged to the 35th Belfort Infantry regiment
An investigation has been launched for the attempted murder.
Le périmètre est toujours bouclé. Des militaires arrivent sur la zone. #levalloispic.twitter.com/JzAexTUsRr
— Clément Lanot (@ClementLanot) August 9, 2017
The attacker
The car contained just one occupant and sped away after the incident. The French minister of the interior, Gérard Collomb, said the attack was deliberate but the man’s motives are not known.
Police later forced a car, believed to have been that involved in the attack, off a motorway leading to Calais and arrested the driver, aged in his late 30s. The man was shot during the stop. French media reported that a policeman and possibly other people were also hurt as the driver tried to escape.