French police have arrested a 22-year-old man in connection with a knife attack on a soldier near Paris on Saturday, officials say, quoted by BBC. The suspect was detained on Wednesday morning in the Yvelines region, 45km (28 miles) southwest of the capital, Interior Minister Manuel Valls said. The “dangerous” man was traced thanks to evidence at the scene, he added. French anti-terrorist investigators are handling the case, saying the soldier was targeted because of his profession.
Witnesses had earlier described the attacker as a bearded man of North African origin. The man was monitored on security cameras and seen taking off his robe and running away wearing European clothes, officials said.
The stabbing took place three days after the killing of British serviceman Drummer Lee Rigby outside a barracks in the Woolwich area of London. French President Francois Hollande said that while all theories would be investigated, there was no evidence to link the two attacks.
The suspect was a petty criminal known to police, correspondents say.
Speaking on French TV on Wednesday, Mr Walls warned against jumping to early conclusions.
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