It has been reported that a history teacher, who is said to have discussed images of the Prophet Muhammad with his pupils, was beheaded.
France’s president has said that a man has been “assassinated” in an Islamist terror attack in a Paris suburb “because he was a teacher”.
It has been reported that a history teacher, who is said to have discussed images of the Prophet Muhammad with his pupils, was beheaded.
According to the AP news agency, the suspected attacker was shot dead about 600 metres from the scene.
A street in Conflans Sainte-Honorine, northwest of the French capital witnessed the incident at about 5 pm local time.
French President Emmanuel Macron, visiting the scene, called it a “cowardly attack”, saying that the man was a “victim of an Islamist terrorist attack” and was killed because he “taught the freedom of expression, of believing and not believing”.
France would “protect and defend” its teachers, the President said.
The attacker was an 18-year-old man of Chechen origin, who was carrying a knife, the Le Parisien newspaper reported.
The attacker is believed to have been shot after he refused to put down his gun.
A gun was found at his side. Other reports say it was an airsoft gun that fired plastic pellets.
France’s anti-terror prosecutor earlier called the incident a stabbing, but news agencies Reuters and AP said the police sources told them the victim was decapitated.
Reuters said witnesses heard the attacker shout Allahu Akbar, or God is greater.
In class during a discussion about freedom of expression about 10 days ago, the teacher had reportedly shown images of the Prophet Muhammad.
Last Friday, a Twitter thread alleged that pupils had been shown cartoons of the prophet.
Jean-Michel Blanquer, the Education minister, tweeted that the republic had been attacked through the “despicable assassination of one of its servants”.
He added that “unity and firmness are the only answers to the monstrosity of Islamist terrorism”.
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