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Orly airport: Man killed after seizing soldier's gun | Orly airport: Man killed after seizing soldier's gun |
(about 2 hours later) | |
French security forces have shot dead a man as he was trying to grab a soldier's gun at Paris's Orly airport. | |
Ziyed Ben Belgacem was killed after attacking a patrol saying he wanted to "die for Allah", officials say. | |
Earlier on Saturday the 39-year-old had been involved in a shooting and then a carjacking in the Paris area. | |
Prosecutors have opened a terror investigation. Ben Belgacem had been reported as radicalised in the past, and was on a police watch-list. | |
He had a long criminal record including convictions for armed robbery, French media report. | He had a long criminal record including convictions for armed robbery, French media report. |
The attack comes at a sensitive time. France has presidential elections starting next month and remains under a state of emergency. | The attack comes at a sensitive time. France has presidential elections starting next month and remains under a state of emergency. |
The soldiers at Orly were part of Operation Sentinel - involving thousands of soldiers deployed to provide back-up to the police after the Charlie Hebdo attack in January 2015 and the Paris attacks of November 2015. | The soldiers at Orly were part of Operation Sentinel - involving thousands of soldiers deployed to provide back-up to the police after the Charlie Hebdo attack in January 2015 and the Paris attacks of November 2015. |
The sequence of events | The sequence of events |
Early on Saturday morning, Ben Belgacem was stopped at a checkpoint in Garges-les-Gonesse, north of Paris, where he lives. | |
He fired at police with a pellet gun before escaping in a car that was later found abandoned. | He fired at police with a pellet gun before escaping in a car that was later found abandoned. |
Police say he then stole a car at gunpoint from a woman at Vitry, south of Paris. That car was later found at Orly airport. | Police say he then stole a car at gunpoint from a woman at Vitry, south of Paris. That car was later found at Orly airport. |
Ben Belgacem arrived at the airport carrying a container of fuel and approached the military patrol saying: "I'm here to die for Allah. In any case people are going to die," Paris prosecutor Francois Molins told reporters. | |
He then tried to seize a weapon from a female soldier before being shot dead by two other soldiers. | |
A lighter, a packet of cigarettes, a copy of the Koran and 750 euros ($790; £650) in cash were found on his body, Mr Molins added. | |
Cocaine was later discovered at his home. His father and brother taken into custody - which is standard procedure in suspected terror attacks. | |
A security operation took place at the airport with bomb disposal experts involved and a search for any possible accomplices. | A security operation took place at the airport with bomb disposal experts involved and a search for any possible accomplices. |
Travel disruption | Travel disruption |
Orly - located 13km (8 miles) south of Paris - is the capital's second-largest airport. | Orly - located 13km (8 miles) south of Paris - is the capital's second-largest airport. |
Both the west and the south terminals were closed during the security operation. An estimated 3,000 passengers were evacuated. | Both the west and the south terminals were closed during the security operation. An estimated 3,000 passengers were evacuated. |
Many flights were suspended, with some arrivals diverted to Charles de Gaulle airport. | Many flights were suspended, with some arrivals diverted to Charles de Gaulle airport. |
But the terminals reopened later in the day and normal flight operations were said to be resuming. | But the terminals reopened later in the day and normal flight operations were said to be resuming. |
Terrified witnesses | Terrified witnesses |
Ellie Guttetter, 18, from the US said: "We were sitting in Hall Three when all of a sudden people started running and telling us to run with them. | Ellie Guttetter, 18, from the US said: "We were sitting in Hall Three when all of a sudden people started running and telling us to run with them. |
"The people running were passengers and flight attendants. It was pretty chaotic and everyone was panicking - it was scary." | "The people running were passengers and flight attendants. It was pretty chaotic and everyone was panicking - it was scary." |
Another eyewitness, Meredith Dixon, described seeing panicked airline personnel, with no security or police personnel to usher people outside the airport complex. | Another eyewitness, Meredith Dixon, described seeing panicked airline personnel, with no security or police personnel to usher people outside the airport complex. |
"It was complete chaos," she told the BBC. | "It was complete chaos," she told the BBC. |
"There were no alarms. No overhead announcements. No organised evacuation. People just began running." | "There were no alarms. No overhead announcements. No organised evacuation. People just began running." |
Were you at the airport? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. | Were you at the airport? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. |
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
Or use the form below | Or use the form below |