France: One arrested after car attempts to ram crowd in Créteil June 29; no injuries

Event

A car reportedly attempted to ram into a crowd outside of a mosque in the Paris suburb of Créteil at approximately 18:30 (local time) on Thursday, June 29. The driver was reportedly unable to breach the protective barriers placed in front of the mosque and no one was injured. Police arrested the driver shortly after the incident. According to unconfirmed reports, the attacker wished to avenge prior jihadist attacks on French targets. The situation is reportedly contained and there is believed to be no further related risk to the public. However, an increased security presence remains in place surrounding the mosque.

Context

France has been under a state of emergency since the November 13, 2015, terrorist attacks in the Paris region that killed 130 people. A series of incidents targeting French security forces have taken place in the French capital in recent months. One June 19, a car rammed into a police van on the Avenue des Champs Elysées in Paris in what appeared to be a failed attack; the driver was killed in the incident, but no one else was injured. On June 6, a man armed with a hammer targeted a police officer in front of Notre Dame Cathedral; the officer was lightly wounded and the assailant was shot and killed. On April 20, a shooting targeting French police on the Avenue des Champs Elysées left one officer dead; the assailant was killed. In March, an armed man briefly took a French soldier hostage at Orly Airport before being shot dead.

Advice

All those present in Créteil are advised to monitor developments to the situation, to avoid the affected area while police operations and investigations are ongoing, and to adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities.