PARIS, May 29 (Xinhua) -- The man suspected of stabbing a French soldier last week was believed to have acted in accordance with his "religious ideology," Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said.
During a press conference, Molins said preliminary information showed that Alexandre, a 22-year-old French, "wanted to attack a representative of the state."
The suspect was seen on video surveillance camera saying a Muslim prayer shortly before the stabbing which "leads us to believe he was acting on the basis of religious beliefs." he stressed.
"It seems clear the intent was to kill as he did not hesitate to attack (the soldier) with impressive determination," the prosecutor added.
The stabbing in the business district of La Defense last Saturday echoed the grisly killing of a British soldier in London last week and authorities are seeking to determine if the Paris incident was a copycat.
The wounded French serviceman was treated for his injury and left hospital on Monday.
Alexandre, known to police for crimes such as theft and possession of firearms, "implicitly acknowledged the fact," according to Molins.
He was arrested in the Paris suburb of Yvelines on Wednesday after being identified through fingerprints in a bag left by the perpetrator at the crime scene. The custody can last up to 96 hours.
Related:
PARIS, May 25 (Xinhua) -- French prosecutors opened an anti-terrorist investigation into the attack on a soldier who was stabbed in the neck in western Paris on Saturday, local channel BFMTV reported.
The 23-year-old soldier from the 4th Regiment of Gap Chasseurs was patrolling the business district of La Defense with two other servicemen as part of Vigipirate anti-terrorist plan when a man stabbed him in the neck at 5:55 p.m. local time (1555 GMT) near the entrance to the RER station of La Defense, the BFMTV said. Full story
PARIS, May 25 (Xinhua) -- A French soldier patrolling the business district of La Defense in western Paris was stabbed on Saturday evening, but his life was not in danger, local media reported.
According to the daily Le Parisien, the soldier from the 4th Regiment of Gap Chasseurs was with two other servicemen as part of Vigipirate anti-terrorist plan when a man stabbed him in the neck with a box-cutter at around 18:00 local time. Full story
PARIS, May 25 (Xinhua) -- France's defence minister said the soldier stabbed in the capital city of Paris on Saturday was targeted because he was in the army.
"They tried to kill the soldier because he was a serving soldier," Jean-Yves Le Drian told reporters.
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