2015 Nice stabbing

On 3 February 2015, three soldiers, guarding a Jewish community center in Nice, France, were attacked with a knife by Moussa Coulibaly, a lone-wolf terrorist.^[1]

2015 Nice stabbing
Part of Islamic terrorism in Europe
Location	Nice, France
Date	3 February 2015
Attack type	Stabbing
Weapons	Knife
Deaths	0
Injured	2
Assailant	Moussa Coulibaly
Motive	Islamist terrorism

Attack

Three soldiers were patrolling outside a Jewish communal building housing a Jewish radio station when Moussa Coulibaly rushed at one of the soldiers with a 20-centimetre (7.8-inch) knife aimed at his throat. Coulibaly only managed to wound that soldier in the face before wounding another soldier in the arm.^[2][3][4][5] The bulletproof vests worn by the soldiers prevented more serious injuries.^[6]

Coulibaly was arrested while attempting to flee.^[3] Two accomplices allegedly fled the scene and were not apprehended.^[7]

Perpetrator

Moussa Coulibaly, age 30, had previous convictions for armed robbery and drug-related crimes.^[7][3] On 28 January 2015 he flew to Turkey, a popular destination at the time for young Europeans intending to fight for ISIL, but French security authorities contacted Turkish authorities who sent him back to France.^[3][6]

He was questioned by police in December 2014 for aggressively sharing his religious beliefs in a gym in Mantes-la-Jolie, Ile-de-France, where he lived with his parents and siblings.^[8] Police found handwritten documents about religion in the hotel room near the Gare de Nice-Ville where he was staying at the time of the attack.^[8]

Following his arrest, Coulibaly spoke about his hatred of France, of Jews and of the military.^[8][9]

Legal proceedings

Couliaby was indicted on charges of attempted murder during a terror operation.^[7]

Reaction

US President Donald Trump described the Nice stabbing as one of several terrorist incidents that were "unreported" in news media.^[10][11]

See also

• 1988 Cannes and Nice attacks
• 2003 Nice bombing
• 2013 La Défense attack
• 2016 Nice truck attack

References

1. Rubin, Alissa (3 February 2017). "Assailant Near Louvre Is Shot by French Soldier". New York Times. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
2. "Louvre machete attack just latest to target soldiers and police in France". The Local. 3 February 2017. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
3. de la Baum, Maia (3 February 2013). "French Soldiers Guarding Jewish Site Are Attacked". New York Times. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
4. "News A timeline of recent mass attacks in France". Deutsche Welle. 15 July 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
5. "French soldiers wounded in Nice Jewish centre attack". BBC News.
6. Smith, Laura (3 February 2015). "Attacker stabs two soldiers in Nice, France". CNN.
7. "Suspect in knifing of soldiers guarding French JCC charged with attempted murder". JTA. France 24. 8 February 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
8. "French knife attack suspect says he 'hates military, Jews'". France 24. 5 February 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
9. "Frenchman gets 30-year term over 2015 knife attack on soldiers". 12 December 2019.
10. Fisher, Max (7 February 2017). "Our Articles on the Attacks Trump Says the Media Didn't Cover". New York Times. Retrieved 10 February 2017.
11. Sterling, Joe (8 February 2017). "How CNN covered the terror attacks on the White House list". CNN. Retrieved 10 February 2017.