Olympic security fears after soldier attacked and stabbed patrolling major Paris train station
A French soldier has been stabbed outside a major train station in Paris, with the city under a high-security alert 11 days before the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics.
The attacker has been arrested.
A French military official said the soldier was hospitalised but is not in life-threatening condition, and the reason for the attack is being investigated.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Authorities don’t suspect terrorism as a motive at this stage, according to the national counterterrorism prosecutor’s office.
The soldier was among thousands of troops serving in the Sentinelle force for France’s domestic security, created to guard prominent French sites after a string of deadly Islamic extremist attacks in 2015.
Soldiers in the Sentinelle force have been targeted in the past.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin posted on X that the soldier had been patrolling at the Gare de l’Est train station in eastern Paris and that the assailant was detained.
Paris is deploying around 30,000 police officers each day for the Olympics, which run from July 26 to August 11, with a peak of 45,000 for the opening ceremony on the Seine River.
About 18,000 members of the military are also helping ensure security.
