TERROR ATTACKER KILLS 2 AT STATION
FRANCE was reeling from another “terror attack” last night after two young women were stabbed to death at a train station by a man shouting “Allahu Akbar”.
The suspected Islamist terrorist, armed with a butcher’s knife, carried out the attack yesterday afternoon in Marseille before being shot dead by soldiers.
The bloodbath unfolded at Marseille St Charles, one of the busiest transport hubs in the country.
The two victims, one aged 17 and the other 20, suffered horrific injuries before they died, police sources said.
Hundreds of witnesses looked on in horror as the murderer, who was of North African appearance, struck while shouting “Allahu Akbar”(God is greatest). He slit one victim’s throat and then stabbed the other in the stomach.
“The attack was frenzied,” said an investigating source. “The man first shouted threats, and then launched into the two women. Soldiers on antiterrorism duties intervened. They shot the man dead.”
Neither of the women have been identified, and nor has the killer, who is believed to be a local man in his late 20s.
A police source last night said the man was known to the authorities for “common law” crimes.
France has been in a state of emergency following a spate of attacks by Islamist militants over the past two years.
The servicemen were part of Operation Sentinel, a wide-ranging security initiative that has flooded French streets with soldiers.
As they dealt with the attacker, hundreds of rail passengers fled in panic.
“There was screaming and shouting, and people were running everywhere,” said one witness.”
Samia Ghali, a local politician, said: “If the military had not been there, we would have had a lot more deaths.” Gerard Collomb, a spokesman for the French interior ministry, said: “Antiterrorist prosecutors have opened an inquiry, and the terrorist theory is suspected.”
Security at transport hubs in France has been stepped up because of threats by groups such as Islamic State to target them.
Recent attacks have included an attempt to kill a soldier at the Eiffel Tower over the summer.
lCanadian police are investigating attacks in Edmonton on Saturday night as “acts of terrorism” after a man hit a police officer with a car.
The attacker stabbed the officer before ploughing into four pedestrians with a second vehicle.
Police arrested a suspect who they believe acted alone, though authorities have not ruled out the possibility that he acted with others.
An IS flag was reportedly found in one of the vehicles.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said: “While the investigation continues, early reports indicate that this is another example of the hate that we must remain ever vigilant against.”