Children injured in knife attack in southeast France, police say

The suspect, who was arrested at the scene, is a 32-year-old Syrian national who had submitted a formal request for asylum in France, which was under review at the time of the attack, police said. The man, whom police identified only by his first name, Abdalmasih, also had a Swedish driver’s license, police said.

“We are in close contact with the French police authorities,” said Sofia Hellqvist, a spokeswoman for Swedish police.

Police said earlier that five people were injured and that two children and one adult were in critical condition. Police declined to comment further on the identity of the attacker, citing the ongoing investigation.

French President Emmanuel Macron said the attack showed “absolute cowardice.”

“Children and an adult are between life and death. The Nation is in shock,” Macron tweeted. “Our thoughts are with them as well as their families and the emergency services mobilized.”

French lawmakers observed a minute of silence inside the National Assembly for the victims of the attack and their families.

Anthony Le Tallec, a former French soccer player, said in a series of Instagram videos early Thursday that he was jogging near Lake Annecy when he saw people running away and shouting at others to do the same. One woman shouted at him to run because someone was “stabbing everyone,” including children, he said.

Le Tallec said he saw the suspect coming in his direction while police officers chased him. The attacker ran toward an older couple, Le Tallec said, and stabbed an older man.

Le Tallec said he later saw “children on the ground.”

Police confirmed that an older man was attacked, but said he suffered relatively minor defensive wounds and did not need to be taken to a hospital for treatment.

It’s not clear what motivated the attack. France is under a territory-wide alert for terrorism. In the past decade, several high-profile terrorist attacks planned by individuals with links to Islamist groups have taken place there.

Charlotte Caubel, France’s minister of state for children, said the attack was a sign of “the increase in violence in our society.”

“Once again, our children are the target,” she tweeted.

Around 10 a.m. local time, a Twitter account for the prefect of the Haute-Savoie department, where Annecy is located, said a police operation was underway in the Jardin de l’Europe, a park on the northwestern bank of the Annecy Lake, and the nearby Pâquier area. It asked residents to avoid the area.

French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne will travel to Annecy Thursday, said National Assembly president Yaël Braun-Pivet.

“Abominable knife attack on children in a playground in Annecy,” tweeted Antoine Armand, a member of Parliament from Haute-Savoie. “We still know very little but all my support for the victims, relatives, law enforcement and rescue. With you in thoughts.”

Loveday Morris and Vanessa Schlesier contributed to this report.