One person was killed and several others reportedly injured in an apparent Islamist terror attack at a factory in Grenoble, in southeast France on Friday.
The victim's decapitated body was recovered from the factory. Arabic writing was found on the head, which was pinned to the factory gate, according to AFP.
Several pro-Isis Twitter accounts claimed the attack, though it was not confirmed yet if the attack was actually planned and carried out by the Islamic State.
The attack took place at a manufacturing unit of Air Products -- an American chemical company based in Pennsylvania -- in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier in France. Loud explosions were heard from the area, say reports.
Reacting to the incident, President Francois Hollande, who is in Brussels for a European Union summit, described it as a terrorist attack and said all measures would be taken to stop any future strikes on a country still reeling from Islamist assaults in January, Reuters reported.
These are the updates so far -
- The victim who was beheaded was the boss of the suspect, AFP has reported.
- The wife of the suspect has reportedly been held, AFP reported.
- The person who was decapitated has been identified as a local businessman.
- It is not yet confirmed if the France attack was an Isis attack.
- "Islamist terrorism has hit France again," French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said.
- The suspect has been identified as 'Yacine Salhi' (spelling uncofirmed), according to The Local.
- The attacker was known to French authorities as having been radicalised, Reuters reported.
He had links to the Salafist movement, French authorities have said, according to AFP.
- Suspected accomplices of the attacker have been held by the police. It is not clear how many people have been detained.
- Hollande confirmed that one decapitated body was found, and that two others were injured in the terror attack.
- French President Francois Hollande has said the attack on the factor on Friday was of a 'terrorist nature'.
- Pro-Isis Twitter accounts have reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack, according to jihadist researcher Charlie Winter.
#France: #IS tweep claims "IS flag" at #Grenoble attack scene. Even if true, this doesn't mean it was planned by IS. pic.twitter.com/G8611wL5uG
— Charlie Winter (@charliewinter) June 26, 2015
- The attackers reportedly entered the factory posing as deliverymen, a Daily Mirror reporter has tweeted.
the men entered the factory area disguised as deliverymen.
— Andy Lines (@andylines) June 26, 2015
- Reports suggest that there was more than one person involved in the attack. "Two individuals deliberately rammed a car into the gas containers to trigger an explosion," a police official told Reuters.
- The anti-terror wing of the French police has been deployed to investigate the attack.
- The factory that came under attack on Friday is said to belong to a US-based industrial company called Air Products, Reuters said.
- The attackers arrived in a car waving Islamist banners. It is not clear if they were Isis flags.
- Some reports are already calling it an Isis atatck, carried out by suspected Islamic State supporters.
- This is said to be the site of the attack on the French factory.
Attentat #Isere Le parquet antiterroriste se saisit de l'enquête sur l'attentat #EI (parquet) @RadioContact pic.twitter.com/F5zF8fteGq
— Contact News (@ContactNews) June 26, 2015
- The attacker has been arrested and is said to be in his thirties, French website Ledauphine.com reported.
- The severed head of the victim was reportedly hung from a fence at the factory with some Arabic writing on it, AFP reported.
- The attacker, who set off several explosive devices in the factory, was carrying an Islamist flag.
- It is not clear which terror group the attacker belonged to.
- Several people have reportedly been wounded in the attack.
- French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve is said to be heading to the site.
The attack comes six months after the deadly Charlie Hebdo shootings and the Paris kosher grocery attack that left several people dead.
The Al Qaeda had claimed responsibility for the attack and warned of more attacks in the country.
#BREAKING Decapitated body found near attacked French factory: legal source
— Agence France-Presse (@AFP) June 26, 2015