Paris Prosecutor Announces Identity of Orly Airport Attacker

The Paris prosecutor stated that the individual who attacked Orly Airport in the French capital was named Zaid bin Abulqasim and had expressed a desire to be killed 'in the name of God' during the attack. Earlier, French police had reported that the assailant, who managed to seize a soldier's weapon, was shot dead at Orly Airport. Abulqasim, a 39-year-old French citizen, had previously engaged in gunfire and carjacking around Paris before the airport attack. François Molins, the Paris prosecutor, announced on March 18 that evidence and the target chosen by the attacker indicated he had 'radicalized' and intended to carry out a terrorist attack. Police sources had previously described the assailant as a 'known radical Muslim' to the country's intelligence services. Abulqasim had a criminal record, and police stated he was involved in drug trafficking and armed robbery. The 39-year-old was stopped early Saturday morning at a checkpoint on the northern outskirts of Paris. He then opened fire on the police, injuring one officer. After fleeing the scene, he abandoned the vehicle he was in and hijacked another. The police found the second vehicle at Orly Airport. Zaid bin Abulqasim entered the southern terminal of the airport at 8:30 AM and attempted to seize the weapon of a female soldier in what the army spokesperson described as a 'brutal attack.' According to the Paris prosecutor, Abulqasim used a handgun to take the female officer hostage, declaring, 'Put your weapon down, hands on your head! I have come here to die in the name of God (Allah). In any case, everyone dies.' The assailant was also found to have gasoline, a pack of cigarettes, a lighter, 750 euros, and a Quran with him. Security forces found several grams of cocaine, a machete, and some foreign currency at his home. The French Ministry of the Interior stated that no one was injured during the incident at the airport on Saturday. This attack occurred one month before the first round of the French presidential elections. France has been in a state of emergency since a series of extremist attacks, including the November 2015 massacre in Paris. During this time, French security forces have been targeted multiple times, including last month when an individual attacked several soldiers with a knife at the Louvre Museum.