Chopper attack in Paris: update on the investigation

A stabbing attack left two injured on Friday in Paris in front of the former

premises

, in the midst of the murderous attack that targeted the satirical weekly in January 2015. The national anti-terrorism prosecutor (Pnat) was seized of an investigation for "attempted assassination in connection with a terrorist enterprise", entrusted to the criminal brigade and to the General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI).

"Obviously, this is an act of Islamist terrorism," said the Minister of the Interior Gerald Darmanin on France 2, deploring "a new bloody attack against our country".

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The prime suspect takes responsibility for his act and admits it was aimed at 

Charlie Hebdo

The main suspect "assumed his act" in custody, we learned on Saturday from sources close to the investigation.

This man "assumes his act which he places in the context of the republication of the cartoons (of

, editor's note) that he did not support", added one of these sources.

At this stage, the attack therefore appears clearly claimed.

It remains to be seen whether this man acted on his own or whether he is part of a network.

It also remains to be seen whether he could have been influenced by the appeal launched by Al-Qaeda a few days ago in reaction to this republication of the cartoons.

However, the attack seems poorly prepared, given the modus operandi. 

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A man unknown to the intelligence services

The route of the main suspect questions.

We know that he was born in Pakistan and that he arrived in France three years ago as an isolated minor, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin explained on Friday evening.

Until he was 18 years old last month, the suspect had been taken care of by the Val d'Oise Children's Social Assistance, and showed no sign of radicalization.

He was also not known to the intelligence services and had only been arrested once by the police, when he was at Gare du Nord in Paris with a screwdriver in his pocket. . 

Seven people are in custody

Seven individuals were still in custody on Saturday noon: the assailant plus six other people.

The police are investigating all of the main suspect's connections.

Five people were arrested on Friday and a sixth man, a former roommate of the assailant, was taken into custody today.

Another man, arrested Friday after being seen in the metro with the suspect, was exonerated on Saturday morning.

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Two searches were carried out in the Paris region

The authorities also carried out searches in two places in the Paris region: a social hotel in Cergy in Val-d'Oise, and an apartment in Pantin in Seine-Saint-Denis, two places where the main suspect lived.