French police have detained a man on Monday after he attacked three women with knives near Porte de Clichy in Paris.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said that the man later claimed he was commanded by Allah, telling authorities “It is Allah who commanded me” while lying on the ground after being overpowered.
Nunez said that two kitchen knives were used in the attack, which left two of the three women, aged 19, 24 and 36, severely wounded.
An international media outlet verified a video circulating on social media showing the moment of the assault. A man in a cream tracksuit with long black hair can be seen holding a knife in each hand as he lunges at a young woman on the street. Whether she sustained injuries has not been confirmed.
The footage continues to a second scene, where the same man is shown restrained on the ground by onlookers, the two knives discarded nearby on a pedestrian crossing.
An off-duty police officer was responsible for detaining the man. Nunez described the officer’s actions as “a courageous act” and singled him out for tribute.
Investigators have not established a motive, Nunez said. He added that the man’s identity remains unconfirmed, since the statements he gave during his arrest were “incoherent.”
France’s national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office has stated that it is reviewing whether to launch a formal investigation into the attack.
