Orly attacker’s life in the spotlight

He was influenced by drink and drugs, his father claims

PARIS // French investigators yesterday tried to establish whether the suspected extremist who was shot dead after holding up a female soldier at Orly airport in Paris had planned the attack or acted on impulse. Ziyed Ben Belgacem, 39, caused a major security scare on Saturday when he took her hostage at Orly airport and was shot dead by her fellow patrolmen. It led to the temporary closure of the capital’s second-busiest airport and the cancellation of flights.

Born in France to Tunisian parents, Ben Belgacem said he wanted to “die for Allah” and that others would die after he grabbed the soldier, putting a gun to her head and seizing her rifle.

Ben Belgacem’s father insisted that his son – who had spent time in prison for drugs and armed robbery and been investigated for extremist links – was not a terrorist and was acting under the influence of drink and cannabis. A post-mortem examination was to be carried out on Ben Belgacem yesterday to determine whether alcohol or drugs were a factor.

“My son was not a terrorist. He never prayed, and he drank,” his father said.

He was released from police custody on Saturday after being questioned but the suspect’s brother and cousin were being interrogated for clues as to whether the gunman had planned a terrorist attack or whether it was the unhinged epilogue to a shooting spree.

France remains on high alert after a series of extremist attacks that have claimed more than 230 lives in two years.