Man decapitated and two injured in France ‘terrorist’ attack

The 35-year-old attacker, Yacine Salhi, had been known to security services for a number of years, and had a 'link' to the Salafist movement, the French interior minister said.

SAINT-QUENTIN-FALLAVIER, FRANCE // At least one suspected extremist launched a daylight raid on a gas factory in south-east France on Friday, pinning a decapitated head to the gates and injuring at least two others with explosive devices.

“The intent was without doubt to cause an explosion. It was a terrorist attack,” said president Francois Hollande in Brussels, cutting short an EU summit to hold emergency meetings in the French capital.

Mr Hollande said a vehicle driven at high speed by “one person, maybe accompanied by another” smashed into the factory, around 40 kilometres 25 miles from France’s second city, Lyon.

“At the time I am speaking, there is one dead and two injured,” said a grim-faced Mr Hollande, calling for “solidarity” for the dead victim, who was found with Arabic inscriptions on him.

The 35-year-old attacker, identified as Yacine Salhi, had been known to security services for a number of years but did not have a criminal record, interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said.

He was taken into custody and an anti-terrorist investigation has been launched, he said.

The gruesome killing came nearly six months after the attacks in and around Paris that left 17 people dead and started with a shooting at the headquarters of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

For months, Europe has been on high-alert for so-called “lone wolf” attacks that are very difficult to prevent after extremists urged supporters to carry out assaults wherever they could.

“There was a decapitated body with inscriptions,” said Mr Hollande, although sources said it was not clear whether the victim was transported to the site or whether the beheading was carried out at the factory site.

“A flag with Arabic writing on it was found at the scene,” said Mr Cazeneuve, and the text was being translated.

The suspect entered the factory owned by American group Air Products and set off several small explosive devices, sources said, with at least two people hurt in the assault.

Police said it was unclear whether the attacker was acting alone, or had accomplices.

Security services drew up a file on the suspect in 2006 for radicalisation, but he had no criminal record, said Mr Cazeneuve, who went immediately to the scene.

The suspect had a “link” to the Salafist movement, which follows a strict interpretation of Sunni Islam, Mr Cazeneuve added, stressing that the investigation was in its early stages.

Prime minister Manuel Valls, who is on an official trip in South America, ordered security measures stepped up at all sensitive sites in the area.

The attack occurred around 10am local time, according to local media, in the small town of Saint-Quentin-Fallavier, near Lyon.

“This is a small town and a large industrial zone. There’s never been any concern in the region. We’re all surprised. We’re really in shock this morning,” an employee at a nearby business told news channel BMFTV.

France has been on high alert since January 7 when two extremist brothers attacked Charlie Hebdo’s offices, killing 12. A policewoman and four hostages in a Jewish supermarket were also killed during the attacks, carried out over three days.

* Agence France-Presse