PARIS (Xinhua) – The suspect who attacked a police officer outside Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Tuesday was identified as an Algerian student who was believed to commit his act to revenge the war in Syria, French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said.
“What we know at this stage that he is an Algerian student,” Collomb told reporters, adding that authentication of an identity card found with the suspect was underway.
“A person armed with a hammer began to hit a policeman. His colleague opened fired, allowing the attacked policeman not to be the victim of serious violence than that he has undergone,” he said.
The suspect who was also armed with knives, shouted “This is for Syria” when he attacked the policeman and slightly injured him, according to the minister. The man, wounded in the attack, was believed to act alone. His motives remain unknown, according to the minister.
Paris prosecutor’s anti-terrorism unit launched an investigation into the incident.