Nice attack: Man, 47, arrested over 'contact' with attacker who killed 3
30 October 2020, 08:34 | Updated: 30 October 2020, 08:46
A 47-year-old man who is suspected to have had contact with the attacker who killed three people in a church in Nice has been detained by investigators.
It emerged today that the attacker was approached by a man not long before the terror attack, who may have had links to an Al-Qaeda network.
Read more: Victim of Nice attack pictured
The suspected attacker, who was shot 14 times at the scene by police, was named as Brahim Aoussaoui, a 21-year-old Tunisian who arrived in Europe on a migrant boat just last month at Lampedusa.
French parliament falls silent after three killed by knifeman in Nice
The attack in Nice was the third in two months in France that authorities have attributed to Muslim extremists, including the beheading of a teacher.
It comes during a growing anger over caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed that were republished in recent months by the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo - renewing debate in France and the Muslim world over the depictions that Muslims consider offensive but are protected by French free speech laws.
Terror probe launched after three killed by knifeman in France
Inside the Nice basilica a man and woman were killed by the attacker. The third victim, a 44-year-old woman who managed to flee, died at a nearby restaurant.
A 60-year-old woman whose body was found at the entry of the church, suffered "a very deep throat slitting, like a decapitation", Mr Ricard said.
The 55-year-old man also died after deep cuts to his throat, the prosecutor added.
An investigation was opened for a terrorist murder and attempted murder. The prosecutor said the attacker, who was born in 1999, was not known to security services as a potential threat.
