A Syrian national wounded four children and an adult in a knife attack in a French park on Thursday, police said, leaving some of the victims critically ill in hospital.
The attack, which happened in the French alpine town of Annecy, was carried out by a Syrian national with legal refugee status in France, a police official told Reuters.
"Children and one adult are between life and death. The nation is in shock," French President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement on Twitter, calling the attack "an act of absolute cowardice."
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said on Twitter that adding the attacker had been arrested.
Plusieurs personnes dont des enfants ont été blessés par un individu armé d’un couteau dans un square à Annecy. L’individu a été interpellé grâce à l’intervention très rapide des forces de l’ordre.
— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) June 8, 2023
Two children and one adult are in life-threatening condition, while two children were slightly hurt, police said.
Witnesses said at least one child involved was in a stroller.
Attaque d’une lâcheté absolue ce matin dans un parc à Annecy. Des enfants et un adulte sont entre la vie et la mort. La Nation est sous le choc. Nos pensées les accompagnent ainsi que leurs familles et les secours mobilisés.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) June 8, 2023
"Nothing more abominable than to attack children," French national assembly speaker Yael Braun-Pivet said on Twitter. The French parliament observed a minute of silence to mark the incident.
One of injured children in French knife attack was British, says UK's Cleverly
A British national was among the children injured in a knife attack in the French town of Annecy on Thursday, British foreign minister James Cleverly said.
Cleverly was speaking at an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) news conference in Paris.
Jerusalem Post Staff contributed to this report.