Paris car attacks

This item appears on page 18 of the August 2017 issue.

In Paris, a man deliberately drove his car into a police van on the Champs-Élysées on June 19, causing his car to erupt into flames. The driver was killed in the incident, but no other injuries occurred. Police found guns and ammunition in the car. The man was identified as a person known to intelligence officials, but no group affiliation was reported.

On June 29, outside of a mosque in the Parisian suburb of Créteil, a man attempted to drive his car into a group of Muslims but was thwarted by a protective barrier. No one was injured. The man drove off and was arrested at another location. 

The driver stated he was seeking revenge for attacks at the Bataclan theater (November 2015) and Champs-Élysées (April 2017), both of which were claimed by the Islamist militant group Daesh (ISIL).