Knifeman in ‘suicide vest’ is shot dead by Paris cops
A MOROCCAN knifeman ‘obsessed’ by ISIS was yesterday shot dead by Paris police on the first anniversary of the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attacks.
Sallah Ali, 20, acted like a suicide bomber as he waved a knife at officers outside the Goutte d’Or commissariat, near the Gare du Nord Eurostar terminus.
Ali carried no explosives, but had a ‘suicide vest-style’ device strapped underneath his jacket, with wires poking out.
Originally from Casablanca, Ali was said to be shouting Islamic slogans including ‘Allahu Akbar’ – Arabic for ‘God is the greatest’.
He carried a piece of paper ‘with an Islamic State flag on it’, and ‘swore allegiance’ to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the reclusive leader of ISIS.
Ali had been sleeping rough in Paris, but in 2013 was arrested for theft in Sainte-Maxime, the upmarket French Riviera resort. His fingerprints were recorded then and correspond with those of the knifeman killed yesterday.
A police source said: ‘He was clearly obsessed with Islamic State and its leaders. This was made very clear from the piece of paper found.’
‘Allahu Akbar’ were the words used by the two Paris-born brothers who carried out the massacre of staff at Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine exactly a year ago.
President Francois Hollande was paying tribute to the 17 victims of the attacks when yesterday’s incident happened.
‘At around 11.30am, the man appeared outside the police station and showed off his kitchen knife,’ the source said. ‘He was told to get back, but refused. Shots were fired and he died instantly.’
Ali’s body, dressed in blue jeans, a grey combat-style jacket and black boots, could be seen lying outside the police station until well into the afternoon. Alongside it was a kitchen knife or cleaver, but there was no sign of any fake device.
By 1pm, bomb disposal experts used a robotic device to check Ali’s corpse for explosives. Sniffer dogs were also present. They are said to have found a ‘small package with electric wires hanging out of it’, said another source. Nearby schools and offices were immediately evacuated, and thousands of passengers arriving on the Eurostar from London were told to steer clear of the area.
After the incident, uniformed and plainclothed officers were patrolling streets and squares, many with guns drawn. Pedestrians were searched and held up against walls while being interrogated. The majority were of North African appearance.