ISIS Claims Responsibility for 'Terrorist Attack' in Marseille, France

After a man fatally stabbed two women at the central train station in Marseille, ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack. The assailant was shot dead by soldiers stationed in the area, and French officials described the incident as a terrorist attack. Reuters reported on Sunday, October 1, citing police officials and eyewitnesses, that the assailant shouted 'Allahu Akbar' during the attack on his victims. According to witnesses, the attacker pulled a knife from his sleeve and initially targeted a young girl, followed by a woman. The Paris prosecutor's office has stated that it considers the case to be terrorism-related and investigations have begun. The mayor of Marseille also commented, 'We had managed the situation so far to avoid such tragic events. I believe this was a terrorist attack. The assailant also seems to have had multiple identities.' Police officials say the attacker was around thirty years old and resembled people from North Africa. According to one of these officials, the assailant was known to the police for some public offenses. Another police official indicated that fingerprint analysis shows the assailant had several fake identities. In this context, Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, expressed his anger over the incident in a tweet but also praised the efforts of security personnel and soldiers present at the scene. France has been in a state of emergency since the attack two years ago in Paris that left 130 dead. The government has deployed about seven thousand soldiers across France tasked with protecting busy areas, religious buildings, tourist sites, and train stations.