Paris was struck by a nightmarish incident as a knife and hammer attack unfolded near the Eiffel Tower on the Quai de Grenelle, claiming the life of a tourist and injuring two others. The assailant, later identified as Armand Rajabpour-Miyandoab, added a grim chapter to the city’s history. This article delves into the details of the attack and explores the disturbing profile of the individual responsible.
Around 9 p.m., chaos erupted on the Quai de Grenelle as Armand Rajabpour-Miyandoab embarked on a violent spree, targeting unsuspecting tourists and passersby. A German and Filipino tourist fell victim to a fatal stabbing near the iconic Eiffel Tower. The assailant, undeterred, continued his rampage, inflicting a hammer blow to the eye of an English tourist.
Who is Armand Rajabpour-Miyandoab?
Armand Rajabpour-Miyandoab, born in 1997 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, holds a disturbing profile. Known to the justice system and marked under file S for radical Islamism, he grapples with psychiatric disorders. This isn’t his first encounter with the law; in 2016, he was sentenced to four years in prison for an aborted attack plan, only to be released in 2020.
Expressing dissatisfaction with events in Gaza, Rajabpour-Miyandoab believed that France was complicit in Israel’s actions, harboring a desire to die as a martyr. His history includes pledging allegiance to the Islamic State in a video, where he cited vengeance for Muslims as his motive.
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In the aftermath of the attack, a security cordon was established near the Eiffel Tower, and political figures expressed their sentiments. Emmanuel Grégoire, the first deputy mayor of Paris, commended the swift police intervention, while leaders from various political parties condemned the act as a murderous assault with Islamist motivations. Transport Minister Clément Beaune acknowledged the city’s mourning and expressed gratitude for the rapid and decisive response of security and emergency forces.
