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| Car Slams Into Soldiers in Paris Suburb, Injuring Six | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| PARIS — The police were on the hunt Wednesday for a driver who plowed a dark BMW into soldiers in a Paris suburb, injuring six of them in what the town’s mayor called an act of “despicable aggression.” | PARIS — The police were on the hunt Wednesday for a driver who plowed a dark BMW into soldiers in a Paris suburb, injuring six of them in what the town’s mayor called an act of “despicable aggression.” |
| The car crashed into soldiers outside a building in Levallois-Perret, northwest of Paris, that they were using as barracks. | The car crashed into soldiers outside a building in Levallois-Perret, northwest of Paris, that they were using as barracks. |
| The soldiers were assigned to the 35th Infantry Regiment of Belfort, in eastern France, according to Defense Minister Florence Parly, who called the events a “cowardly act.” Three soldiers were wounded more seriously than the others, although no injuries appeared to be life-threatening. | The soldiers were assigned to the 35th Infantry Regiment of Belfort, in eastern France, according to Defense Minister Florence Parly, who called the events a “cowardly act.” Three soldiers were wounded more seriously than the others, although no injuries appeared to be life-threatening. |
| Levallois-Perret, adjacent to the 17th Arrondissement of Paris, is home to France’s domestic intelligence agency, the D.G.S.I. The suburb’s mayor, Patrick Balkany, told the news channel BFM-TV that the attack was “odious” and “deliberate.” | Levallois-Perret, adjacent to the 17th Arrondissement of Paris, is home to France’s domestic intelligence agency, the D.G.S.I. The suburb’s mayor, Patrick Balkany, told the news channel BFM-TV that the attack was “odious” and “deliberate.” |
| In the early afternoon, the police detained a man driving the vehicle used to wound the soldiers a few hours earlier, Agence France-Presse and other news agencies reported. | In the early afternoon, the police detained a man driving the vehicle used to wound the soldiers a few hours earlier, Agence France-Presse and other news agencies reported. |
| The driver of the car, who was heading north on one of the highways that leads toward the English Channel, was shot and wounded by the police as he tried to flee. He has been evacuated for medical care, A.F.P. reported, and his identity and motives have not been established. | The driver of the car, who was heading north on one of the highways that leads toward the English Channel, was shot and wounded by the police as he tried to flee. He has been evacuated for medical care, A.F.P. reported, and his identity and motives have not been established. |
| The Paris prosecutor’s office opened a terrorism investigation. France has been on a constant alert for more than two years, and the attack is consistent with numerous past assaults on police officers and soldiers. | The Paris prosecutor’s office opened a terrorism investigation. France has been on a constant alert for more than two years, and the attack is consistent with numerous past assaults on police officers and soldiers. |
| About 7,000 soldiers are on patrol around the country as part of the response to a series of terrorist attacks in recent years: a shooting at the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and a siege at a kosher supermarket in January 2015; coordinated attacks in the Paris area in November 2015; and a truck attack on a Bastille Day celebration in Nice in July 2016. Those three attacks killed more than 230 people in total. | About 7,000 soldiers are on patrol around the country as part of the response to a series of terrorist attacks in recent years: a shooting at the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and a siege at a kosher supermarket in January 2015; coordinated attacks in the Paris area in November 2015; and a truck attack on a Bastille Day celebration in Nice in July 2016. Those three attacks killed more than 230 people in total. |
| On its Twitter account, the Paris police prefecture said that operations were continuing in the area and that the authorities were looking for the vehicle and the driver. | On its Twitter account, the Paris police prefecture said that operations were continuing in the area and that the authorities were looking for the vehicle and the driver. |
| Mr. Balkany, the mayor of Levallois-Perret, told BFM-TV that the attack appeared to have intentionally targeted the soldiers as they were getting ready to start their patrol. | Mr. Balkany, the mayor of Levallois-Perret, told BFM-TV that the attack appeared to have intentionally targeted the soldiers as they were getting ready to start their patrol. |
| “There was a BMW car that was pre-positioned in the alley and that charged into them as they were about to reach their vehicle,” Mr. Balkany said. | “There was a BMW car that was pre-positioned in the alley and that charged into them as they were about to reach their vehicle,” Mr. Balkany said. |
| Police and military officers in France have been targeted with numbing regularity in recent months. | Police and military officers in France have been targeted with numbing regularity in recent months. |
| In June 2016, a police officer and his companion were killed at their home in Magnanville, a small town near Paris, by a man who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. The assailant was killed. | In June 2016, a police officer and his companion were killed at their home in Magnanville, a small town near Paris, by a man who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. The assailant was killed. |
| In February, a man armed with two large knives and shouting “God is great” in Arabic lunged at a military patrol near an entrance to the Louvre and wounded a soldier. The assailant was shot by another soldier. | In February, a man armed with two large knives and shouting “God is great” in Arabic lunged at a military patrol near an entrance to the Louvre and wounded a soldier. The assailant was shot by another soldier. |
| In March, a gunman was killed at Orly Airport, south of Paris, after attacking a soldier there. | In March, a gunman was killed at Orly Airport, south of Paris, after attacking a soldier there. |
| In April, days before the first round of the French presidential election, a gunman shot at police officers on the Champs-Élysées, killing one. The gunman was killed by the police. | In April, days before the first round of the French presidential election, a gunman shot at police officers on the Champs-Élysées, killing one. The gunman was killed by the police. |
| In June, a man was arrested after he used a hammer to attack police officers patrolling in front of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. He was shot and wounded. Later that month, an armed man was killed after he rammed his car into a police convoy on the Champs-Élysées. | In June, a man was arrested after he used a hammer to attack police officers patrolling in front of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. He was shot and wounded. Later that month, an armed man was killed after he rammed his car into a police convoy on the Champs-Élysées. |
| And on Saturday, a teenager tried to attack with a knife security forces guarding the Eiffel Tower. He had recently been discharged from a hospital, and a psychiatric expert deemed him unfit to face prosecution, but a second opinion will be sought in the investigation. | And on Saturday, a teenager tried to attack with a knife security forces guarding the Eiffel Tower. He had recently been discharged from a hospital, and a psychiatric expert deemed him unfit to face prosecution, but a second opinion will be sought in the investigation. |
| In an interview with the weekly Journal du Dimanche published on Sunday, the interior minister, Gérard Collomb, said that the threat level in France was still high and that the authorities had thwarted seven terrorist plots since the beginning of the year. | In an interview with the weekly Journal du Dimanche published on Sunday, the interior minister, Gérard Collomb, said that the threat level in France was still high and that the authorities had thwarted seven terrorist plots since the beginning of the year. |
| Asked about French jihadists returning from Islamic State territory in Syria and Iraq, Mr. Collomb told the newspaper that the authorities were so far dealing with 217 adults and 54 minors who had returned to France, adding that “many of them are currently incarcerated.” | Asked about French jihadists returning from Islamic State territory in Syria and Iraq, Mr. Collomb told the newspaper that the authorities were so far dealing with 217 adults and 54 minors who had returned to France, adding that “many of them are currently incarcerated.” |
| “But other threats exist,” Mr. Collomb said. “Individuals who could be remotely controlled from abroad, for instance by Al Qaeda. Or people without direct links to Syria, but who are subjected to propaganda that unfortunately is still very active. People who are fragile psychologically, and who can suddenly take action.” | “But other threats exist,” Mr. Collomb said. “Individuals who could be remotely controlled from abroad, for instance by Al Qaeda. Or people without direct links to Syria, but who are subjected to propaganda that unfortunately is still very active. People who are fragile psychologically, and who can suddenly take action.” |
| The deployment of thousands of soldiers across the country has been criticized for pulling troops away from the French Army’s external and training operations, for being particularly tedious and tiring for soldiers, and for doing little to prevent terrorism — all while making patrols easy targets. | The deployment of thousands of soldiers across the country has been criticized for pulling troops away from the French Army’s external and training operations, for being particularly tedious and tiring for soldiers, and for doing little to prevent terrorism — all while making patrols easy targets. |
| President Emmanuel Macron said last month that the government would present a proposal in the fall to “deeply revisit the organization of Sentinelle,” the operation that deploys thousands of soldiers across the country to protect and patrol sensitive sites, “to have better operational efficiency and to take into account the efficacy and evolution of the threat.” | President Emmanuel Macron said last month that the government would present a proposal in the fall to “deeply revisit the organization of Sentinelle,” the operation that deploys thousands of soldiers across the country to protect and patrol sensitive sites, “to have better operational efficiency and to take into account the efficacy and evolution of the threat.” |