'IS' terrorist attack in France with impending presidential elections, claims life of police officer

Paris: With just 48 hours remaining to the Presidential elections in France, a police officer dies in an attack by ‘IS’ in its capital city, Paris. The attack that took place in the area of ‘Champs-Elysees’ in the capital, Paris has once again shaken France. While this is the seventh attack in France in the last two years, President Francois Hollande has assured that additional vigilance would be maintained during the forthcoming elections.

On Thursday night at about 9 pm, a car suddenly pulled up alongside a police bus that was on guard in the area of Champs-Elysees. The assailant stepped out of the vehicle and opened fire at the police bus. While one police officer was killed, 2 more were injured in the attack. The assailant tried to get away after the shooting. The police officers that had been deployed there at the time, chased the assailant and had an encounter with him. The French security forces have informed that the attacker died in the encounter.

The terrorist organisation, ‘IS‘ has claimed responsibility for the Paris attack. According to sources, the name of the assailant was Karim Cheurfi and was a resident of Chelles. It is said that a shot gun and a knife have be retrieved from the assailant’s car. It is suspected that the assailant had an accomplice and is being hunted. Local agencies have revealed that the name of the officer killed was ‘Xavier J.’

According to new information, the assailant Karim had been arrested in the past for being involved in a plot concerning an attack on the police. However, he has been released recently. There has been a claim that the assailant was in the French security forces list of ‘Suspected Extremists’. As the suspected terrorist gained success in carrying out the terrorist attack, despite being on the security forces’ list, doubts are being casted over their capabilities.

The first phase of the presidential elections will be concluded in France on Sunday. For a terrorist attack to take place with just 48 hours prior to the elections, proves to be quite shocking. All the candidates contesting for the Presidential elections have harshly condemned the attack. Meanwhile, Hollande’s government is being bombarded with severe criticism.

A few days ago, the French intelligence agencies had taken around 4 suspects into custody while busting a major terror plot. Despite foiling this plot, the French intelligence agencies have failed to avert a new terrorist attack. The attack on Thursday is the seventh in the series of terrorist attacks which began in France from the start of 2015. Analysts and opponents have begun criticizing that a terrorist attack taking place, despite a state of emergency being declared in the country and with thousands of soldiers being on guard, is a failure of the French government.