France is investigating a vehicle-ramming incident on the island of Oleron after a man reportedly shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ while ramming pedestrians and cyclists.
A 35-year-old man was apprehended after a car ramming incident on the French island of Oleron, where he injured five people and reportedly shouted ‘Allahu Akbar’ during the attack. Local authorities confirmed that the suspect, who is currently being investigated for alleged attempted murder, had a long record of petty crimes and drug offenses, but no known connections to organized terrorist groups. He allegedly told police that he had self-radicalized online about a month ago, a claim that investigators are now verifying.
French anti-terrorism prosecutors are not involved in the investigation, and the case is being handled by regular prosecutors. The suspect was subdued by police with a stun device after he set his vehicle on fire and was found with several gas canisters in the car. The man was taken into custody after the 35-minute rampage, which took place along roads connecting the towns of Dolus-d’Oleron and Saint-Pierre-d’Oleron.
The incident has prompted renewed concerns about the potential for lone-wolf attacks in France, especially after a series of similar vehicle-ramming incidents in recent years. The deadliest of these occurred in 2016, when an Islamist extremist drove a truck through crowds celebrating Bastille Day in Nice, killing 86 people and injuring more than 450 before being shot dead by police.
While the suspect in the latest incident has no known ties to organized terrorist groups, his claim of self-radicalization online has raised questions about the growing threat of lone actors conducting attacks in France. The French interior minister, Laurent Nunez, confirmed that the suspect is being investigated for the injuries he caused and that authorities are currently verifying his self-radicalization claim.
French authorities are reviewing the case to determine whether it falls under the category of terrorism or whether it represents an isolated incident. The incident has also prompted renewed calls for increased security measures on French islands, where the risk of such attacks is considered to be relatively high due to the lack of surveillance and the potential for lone actors to carry out attacks without prior warning.