A car attack on the French island of Oleron left five people injured, two of them seriously, after a driver plowed his vehicle into pedestrians and cyclists. The incident occurred on Wednesday along the roads linking the communes of Dolus‑d’Oleron and Saint‑Pierre‑d’Oleron, the island’s main town.
Local authorities said the 35‑minute rampage ended with the driver’s arrest; during the chase he allegedly shouted “Allahu Akbar.” The suspect, a 35‑year‑old man from the fishing village of La Cotinière, was subdued by police using a stun device after he set his vehicle on fire. Several gas canisters were found inside the car, and the La Rochelle prosecutor’s office confirmed that the man repeatedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” during his arrest.
The driver reportedly has a long record of petty crime and drug offenses but no known links to organized terrorist groups. French authorities said the suspect claimed to have “self‑radicalized online” about a month ago, a claim investigators are currently verifying. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez confirmed that five pedestrians and cyclists were struck before the driver was apprehended.
The incident is being investigated as alleged attempted murder, though French anti‑terrorism prosecutors are not presently involved. It follows a series of vehicle‑ramming attacks in France, including the 2016 Islamist extremist truck attack in Nice that killed 86 people and injured over 450.
The Oleron attack underscores the ongoing threat of such assaults and the need for continued vigilance. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to determine the suspect’s motives and any potential connections to extremist groups. With the suspect in custody, focus now shifts to understanding the circumstances of the attack and preventing similar incidents in the future.
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