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Shooting at France’s Orly Airport Prompts Evacuation and Halt to Flights Shooting at France’s Orly Airport Prompts Evacuation and Briefly Halts Flights
(about 1 hour later)
PARIS — A man who attacked a soldier at Orly Airport outside Paris on Saturday was fatally shot in what the Paris Prosecutor’s office said it was investigating as a possible terrorism incident that came shortly after the man shot a police officer during a routine traffic stop. PARIS — A man who attacked a soldier at Orly Airport outside Paris on Saturday was fatally shot in what the Paris prosecutor’s office said it was investigating as a possible act of terrorism. The airport attack occurred shortly after the man shot at a police officer during a routine traffic stop in a Paris suburb, the interior minister said.
The shooting at Orly prompted the partial evacuation of the airport, the diversion of all flights, and a sweep to determine whether the suspect left any explosives at Orly’s two terminals, officials said. Incoming flights were diverted to nearby Charles de Gaulle airport. The shooting at Orly prompted the partial evacuation of the airport, the diversion of all flights and a security sweep to determine whether the assailant had left any explosives at Orly’s two terminals, officials said. Incoming flights were diverted to nearby Charles de Gaulle Airport.
The chain of events started when the man was stopped by the police in a routine identity check at 6:50 a.m. in the Paris suburb of Garges-les-Gonesse and fired a pistol loaded with birdshot and fled. He then carjacked a vehicle in Vitry and drove to the airport, where he attacked a female soldier who was part of a three-soldier unit from Operation Sentinel that was patrolling the airport, according to Jean-Yves Le Drian, the defense minister. Two soldiers opened fire as he attacked, killing him. The chain of events started when the man was stopped by the police in a routine identity check at 6:50 a.m. in the Paris suburb of Garges-lès-Gonesse, Interior Minister Bruno Le Roux said. The man fired a pistol loaded with birdshot and fled. One police officer suffered minor injuries.
A spokeswoman for the Paris Prosecutor’s office said this morning its antiterrorism unit had opened an investigation along with the French Intelligence Service into the events. The assailant then carjacked a vehicle in Vitry-sur-Seine, about eight miles north of Orly Airport, and drove to the airport, where he attacked a female soldier who was part of a three-soldier unit patrolling the airport, said Jean-Yves Le Drian, the defense minister. Two soldiers opened fire as the man attacked, killing him.
The incident was reminiscent of a similar attack in February near the Louvre Museum that forced the museum to close. In that case the attacker, brandishing two long knives, attacked soldiers patrolling in the Carrousel du Louvre, an underground shopping mall that lies between the subway station closest to the museum and one of the museum’s entrances. He injured a soldier before he was shot several times. A spokeswoman for the Paris prosecutor’s office said on Saturday morning that its antiterrorism unit and the French Intelligence Service had opened an investigation into the events.
Saturday’s incident comes as France is in the midst of a heated presidential election campaign, with the first round of voting just five weeks away on April 23. The attacker was 39 years old and had a long police record, including arrests for robbery and drug-related offenses, the spokeswoman said. She said that both his brother and father had been taken into custody by the police for questioning.
Operation Sentinel, the unit that was the target of the airport attack, involves 10,000 soldiers who patrol public areas in France including airports, areas near large tourist attractions and train stations, among other high-profile locations. The episode was reminiscent of a similar attack in February near the Louvre museum that forced the museum to close. In that case the attacker, brandishing two long knives, attacked soldiers patrolling in the Carrousel du Louvre, an underground shopping mall between the subway station closest to the museum and one of the museum’s entrances. He injured a soldier before being shot several times.
The French Interior Ministry confirmed that special operations police who also deal with terrorism were at the airport and asked people who were in the area to stay away from the security perimeter. Explosive experts were also on the scene and completed their inspection by noon. Saturday’s episode comes as France is in the midst of a heated presidential election campaign, with the first round of voting just five weeks away on April 23.
France continues to be on heightened vigilance after the November 2015 terror attacks that killed 130 people, including 89 people at the Bataclan nightclub in Paris, and an attack in Nice last July that killed 86 people when the driver of a truck mowed down people in a crowd who had gathered to watch Bastille Day fireworks. The unit attacked at the airport was part of Operation Sentinel, which involves about 7,000 soldiers who patrol public areas in France, including high-profile locations like airports, areas near large tourist attractions and train stations.
The French Interior Ministry confirmed that special operations police officers who also deal with terrorism were at the airport, and asked people who were in the area to stay away from the security perimeter. Explosives experts were also on the scene and had completed their inspection by noon.
One of Orly’s two terminals, Orly-West, reopened by 1 p.m., and flights were resuming, according to the Paris Airport Authority. Orly-South, where the attack took place, remained closed so that the prosecutor’s office could collect evidence and complete its investigation.
France continues to be on heightened vigilance after the November 2015 terrorist attacks that killed 130 people, including 90 people at the Bataclan nightclub in Paris, and an attack in Nice last July that killed 86 people when the driver of a truck mowed down people in a crowd who had gathered to watch Bastille Day fireworks.
The attack at Orly makes it likely that France’s state of emergency, which has been in effect since November 2015, will remain in place. This past week, the French justice minister had suggested that it might be possible to lift it.
The top government official in the area of the airport, the prefect of Val-de-Marnes, asked passengers on their way to Orly to stay away for the time being.The top government official in the area of the airport, the prefect of Val-de-Marnes, asked passengers on their way to Orly to stay away for the time being.
Orly is one of the two large international airports in the Paris region. It handles most domestic fights as well as some international ones and served 31.2 million passengers in 2016, according to Paris Airport authority. Orly is one of two large international airports in the Paris region. It handles most domestic fights as well as some international ones and served 31.2 million passengers in 2016, according to the Paris Airport Authority.
The Paris airport authority said that traffic would resume soon at Orly-West, but that the other main terminal, Orly Sud, would remain closed so that the prosecutor’s office could conduct its investigation there.