A tragic stabbing incident occurred on Saturday in eastern France, leading to the death of one individual and wounding three police officers near a busy market. The perpetrator, a man of Algerian descent, has been identified as an Islamic extremist suffering from schizophrenia, according to the French interior minister.

The national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office has taken charge of the investigation, which is centered in the city of Mulhouse, located near the borders of Germany and Switzerland. France has been on high alert for potential extremist threats, and President Macron has expressed the government’s “complete determination” to address the situation, attributing the attack to “Islamist terrorism.”

The victim was identified as a 69-year-old man from Portugal. Among the injured, one parking control officer faced severe injuries after being stabbed in the aorta and torso, requiring hospitalization. The other two police officers sustained minor injuries during the incident, as reported by Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau at the crime scene.

Authorities confirmed the arrest of a 37-year-old Algerian man who allegedly shouted “Allahu akbar,” meaning “God is great” in Arabic, during the attack while armed with a knife and screwdriver. Retailleau added that the suspect arrived in France in 2014 without proper documentation, later being convicted of glorifying terrorism following the attack by Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023. Police officials had previously identified the individual as exhibiting a “schizophrenic profile.”

Following his time in prison for that conviction, the suspect had been under house arrest while efforts were being made to deport him back to Algeria. The interior minister criticized Algeria for not cooperating in accepting the return of individuals with criminal records who are being sought for deportation by France.

This incident comes amid heightened tensions between France and Algeria, a relationship marked by historical grievances dating back to the end of French rule 60 years ago. Disputes over the return of Algerian citizens accused of violence and other offenses have added to ongoing diplomatic challenges. Retailleau pointed out that other countries, such as Germany, have also faced similar Islamic extremist attacks, while he praised France’s significant progress in improving national security since a spate of attacks linked to the Islamic State and al-Qaida in 2015 and 2016.