Terror police probe Marseille killings

Police secure the area outside the Saint-Charles train station after French soldiers shot and killed a man who stabbed two women to death at the main train station in Marseille, France, on Sunday. (REUTERS)

LONDON: A knife attack at Marseille’s main train station that left two women dead is being treated as a terror incident French police said on Sunday.
In what has become a grimly familiar story for the French public, where more than 230 people have been killed at the hands of Islamic extremists over the last two years, the suspected knifeman was shot dead by soldiers at the Gare de Marseille-Saint-Charles, officials said.
The prosecutor’s office in Paris said that the investigation would focus on “killings linked to a terrorist organization” and the “attempted killing of a public official,” two terror-related charges, AFP reported.
Police earlier warned the public to stay away from the area.
Marseille is home to one of the largest Arab Muslim populations in France.
France has been on a state of high alert following a spate of attacks since January 2015 when gunmen stormed the Paris office of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo killing 12 people. The country has borne the brunt of terror attacks in Europe which have also targeted other European cities including London, Brussels and Madrid.
But some attacks have also been perpetrated by people with severe psychological problems.
In August, a man driving a van killed one person and seriously injured another in Marseille after driving into a bus stop. He was already known to police and had mental health issues.
Terror experts have warned that as Daesh loses ground in Iraq, the group may seek to increase its killing spree in Europe.
The incident in Marseille comes days after Daesh released a recording of what it claimed was its leader Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi urging followers to strike their enemies in the West.
Canadian police also said yesterday they were investigating possible terrorism after a number of incidents in Edmonton in Alberta on Saturday night.
A policeman was struck by a car then attacked with a knife, the BBC reported.
A man driving a van went on to hit another four pedestrians before being arrested following a police chase.
A Daesh flag was found in the Chevrolet Malibu vehicle that struck the officer, Canada’s CTV news reported.
Both France and Canada have deployed troops in the fight against the group which has been losing ground to coalition forces in Iraq and Syria.