Marseille Terror Attack and Travel Risks

• Two women have been killed after a knife attack at Saint-Charles train station in Marseille on 01 October.
• Islamic State have claimed responsibility for the attack which is being treated as a terror incident.
• France remains on high alert, with a state of emergency still in place, after a series of terror incidents over the past two years.

Terrorism: Two women were stabbed and killed outside the Gare de Marseille-Saint-Charles, in southern France on 1 October 2017. The assailant was shot and killed by French soldiers, who were at the station as a part of Operation Sentinelle. One woman was stabbed in the stomach while the other had her neck sliced. Witnesses have reported that the attacker shouted “Allahu akbar”, Arabic for “God is greatest”.

France’s Interior Minister, Gerard Collomb, is travelling to the scene following the attack. Paris authorities have since revealed that the suspect was known to the police for minor crimes.

The incident in Marseille erupted only days after the Islamic State (IS) released a video online, purportedly of the terror group’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, in which he urged his followers to step up attacks against their enemies in the West. Indeed, IS have claimed that the attacker was one of its soldiers via its Amaq news agency. Though the attacker’s link to the terror group are unclear at this stage it is possible that he was inspired by the terror group rather than having any specific direct links. Islamic State regularly take responsibility for attacks which are undertaken in its name or inspired by its ideology. Attacks of this kind are expected to continue as Islamic State depletes in the Middle East. European nations fear the impact of returning fighters as well as those inspired by the terror group. France is an active partner in the anti-Islamic State coalition, making it a legitimate target in the eyes of the caliphate.

The attacker has been described as a young man known to police for his police record for small-scale criminal actions. This largely fits the profile of many ‘lone wolf’ attackers who have struck France (and other European nations) over the past few years. They are often young men with a hatred for French authority who have been encouraged by extremist ideology.

The attack in Marseille comes with France still on high alert following a string of terror incidents since the January 2015 Charlie Hebdo attacks. Since 2015, more than 230 people in France have been killed in terrorist attacks. The French government has since launched Operation Sentinelle where 7,000 troops have been deployed across the country as a part of the continuing state of emergency. The increase in troop deployments allows for greater security to be given to high risk areas such as transport hubs, tourist sites, and religious buildings. It is believed that this increased security is what allowed for the quick response to the Marseille attacker and prevent further deaths of civilians.