France: the trial of the foiled attack on the Thalys in 2015 opens on Monday

An investigator inspects the Thalys wagon where the attack occurred, Friday August 21, 2015. AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE HUGUEN

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The trial of the foiled Thalys attack opens this Monday, November 16 at the Special Assizes in Paris.

On August 21, 2015, Ayoub el-Khazzani, a 25-year-old Moroccan man opened fire on the Thalys Amsterdam-Paris train and left two injured, before passengers managed to control him.

He is accused of attempted terrorist assassinations.

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When around 5.45 p.m. Ayoub el-Khazzani went on the

, he was heavily armed, in particular with a Kalashnikov and 270 ammunition.

But as soon as he comes out of the toilet where he has prepared himself, a first passenger tries to immobilize him, then a second grabs his

.

Managing to pull out a pistol, the assailant shoots him in the back and retrieves his assault rifle.

Three American tourists, including two soldiers, threw themselves on the gunman, whom they ended up knocking out and tying up with the help of other passengers.

For the prosecution, it is clear that a massacre was avoided because the attempt of al-Khazzani is part, according to the investigators, of a series of attacks piloted by

: the abortive attack on a perpetrated church in April 2015 by Sid-Ahmed Ghlam, recently sentenced to life imprisonment, that of the Thalys, then those of November 13 in Paris and March 22, 2016 in Brussels.

It is indeed with Abaaoud that el-Khazzani, after joining the Islamic State group in Syria in May 2015,

made the return trip and stayed in Belgium.

The Moroccan, who was silent for more than a year and a half, ended up asserting that Abaaoud had instructed him to target only the American military, not civilians.

And that he had given up, but too late to avoid a fight with the passengers.

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A version swept away by investigators who point out in particular that Abaoud was then preparing several mass attacks and had no way of anticipating the presence of the Americans.

Also in the box, three men accused of helping el-Khazzani and Abaaoud to arrive in Europe, including Mohamed Bakkali, alleged logistician of the November 13 attacks.

The trial will be held until December 17.

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