police officers patrol in front of the Louvre, on February 3, 2017, after an attack by a machete against the military. – C. ENA/AP/SIPA
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His prognosis is ” very committed “. The author of the attack against the military, in the Louvre, on Friday, could not be questioned by the authorities, but they were able to trace its course. According to the public prosecutor of Paris, François Molins, the identity of the suspect was not “formally established,” but the suspicion will wear on an Egyptian, a 29-year-old unknown to the police service, which would have happened on January 26 at the airport Charles-de-Gaulle from Dubai.

An Egyptian residing in the united arab Emirates came in with a tourist visa

The investigation has ” made it possible to target an individual 29-year-old and of egyptian nationality “, according to François Molins. The photograph registered in the european database of visas ” is that of the author of the attack “. He has made a request for tourist visa to Dubai on October 30, 2016, and is arrived at Paris Charles-de-Gaulle airport on January 26. Investigators have found 965 euros in cash in his home, as well as a passport egyptian visas for saudi Arabia and Turkey.

tweets, and a reference to Daesh published just before the attack

sources close to the investigation have given a name to the AFP, as other colleagues have published. Not being able to verify the information –and because identity theft is still possible– 20 Minutes has decided to wait until the authorities identify formally the suspect. We have, however, consulted accounts on Twitter and Facebook –suspended since the middle of the night– of an Egyptian 28-year-old installed in the united arab Emirates.

He wrote in English, 26 January, that he will “travel to Paris, France from Dubai international airport”, which corresponds to the chronology given by the public prosecutor of Paris, François Molins, Friday evening. And then in between 9h27 and 9h34, he published a dozen messages in Arabic. His latest, posted fifteen minutes before the attack: “No negotiation, no compromise…no retreat, war relentless”. Just before, he says he is acting “in the name of Allah (…) to our brothers and sisters in Syria and the fighters of the world,” and referred to Daesh as “the State of Islam (Dawlat al-Islam)”, the usual formula of its supports.

One of his friends refuses to believe it

Contacted by 20 Minutes, one of his friends Facebook thinks that this is an error. “I can’t believe he could do such a thing, he is not violent. Some members of his family are police officers. Only a fool can do a thing like that, and he is not mad. This is not possible, he has had to steal his mobile phone or passport,” says the young Egyptian.

machetes purchased in a gun shop parisian

The suspect had rented an apartment-hotel in the rue de Ponthieu in the 8th arrondissement to 1.700 euros for the week and rented a vehicle. On the 28th of January, he has bought two machetes in an armory of the 11th district for 680 euros, paid in cash.

A ” terrorist action “

The investigation must allow “to determine the course but also the motivations of the author, and discover, in particular if he acted alone, spontaneously, or on the contrary, on instruction,” said François Molins, adding that the military had put an end ” to a terrorist action “. A man ” armed with a machete in each hand, arms raised and folded behind the head “, has rushed to the four military operation Sentinel, shouting ” Allah Akbar “. The assailant “knocked on the head, a first member who rejected him, he ran to a second member who fell to the ground and tried to put a machete,” said the prosecutor. “The military has pushed back with kicks. The author is then directed to the military on the ground who fired a first time to that part of the abdomen, which has not stopped the author so well that the soldier opened fire again, three times, the assailant fell to the ground “, said the prosecutor.

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