the first elements of the counter-terrorism investigation show that the attack was not aimed specifically Acted, but to the Western world.
Prime minister Jean Castex, has paid tribute on Friday to the six young French aid killed Sunday in Niger, during a ceremony at the Orly airport, near Paris.
“The whole of France is in mourning for your children. Yes, each of our compatriots, where he found the Sunday, August 9, was felt at the bottom of the heart the terrible blow that has been dealt. Each of our compatriots has instinctively understood, you may be certain, that the victims of this attack were fleeing to Niger to do good, and that they have met the evil”, said the Prime minister, in front of their coffins placed side-by-side.
“This incarnation of evil, France is not known, unfortunately, all too (…), it is very likely to be the same hatred, the same cowardice, the same inhumanity that were at work in Niger and at the Bataclan”, he added, hammering that there was “no question of yielding an inch of ground to the fanaticism criminal and enemies of freedom to act, think, and engage”.
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“These children who come to you to be ripped off by the killers bloodthirsty could be mine, they were between 25 and 31 years old they were young, generous, and brilliant”, said Jean Castex, saluting their “selflessness” and “commitment”.
“in Front of the six coffins lined up, I want first of all to express the sorrow, the pain, the misunderstanding, the anger of all the French,” added the head of government, referring to the families of the victims “of the children for whom you can be proud of, where the whole country can be proud”.
The”attack seems to have been “premeditated” to “target Western
In parallel, the investigation on the deadly attack against the French aid advance. The operation “appears to have been premeditated” with the aim of “targeting Westerners”, according to the first elements, a-t-on learned of justice source, confirming information of BFMTV.
“at this stage there is no evidence that the attack was specifically aimed Acted, even if we cannot exclude it completely. On the other hand, it’s an attack that seems to have been premeditated to target a priori, rather than Westerners,” said this source. Six young French aid, were murdered on Sunday with their driver and their guide nigerians as they were visiting the reserve, giraffes of Kouré, 60 km south-east of the capital Niamey, where they were based.
The islamic State the Grand Sahara referred
Left Tuesday for Niger, the team of eleven French investigators, specialty, from ISB (Directorate-general of internal security), of the Sub-directorate anti-terrorism and police technical science, has completed its findings on-site and must be back in France on Saturday, according to a source close to the folder.
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Five days later, the attack carried out by gunmen traveling on a motorcycle has still not been claimed. “Taking into account the mode of operation, the track of terrorism remains privileged,” added the source of justice. The experts point the finger at the islamic State the Grand Sahara (SAES), active in the area of the “three borders” (Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso), where he is chased by armies and force the French Barkhane, which deploys more than 5,000 men in the Sahel.
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French killed in Niger
Attack in Niger : a complaint after the publication of photos of corpses of the humanitarian Attack in Niger : Castex mep, will chair on Friday a ceremony honoring the humanitarian Europe loses ground in the Sahel
The investigation also seeks to determine if the assailants have been briefed on the visit of the humanitarian aid in the natural park. On Friday morning, a plane carrying the remains of victims in French – Myriam, Stella, Nadifa, Charline, Antoninus and Leo landed at the airport of Orly, near Paris, from Niamey.
