Rabat – French police arrested on Friday a man suspected of stabbing three women on Line 3 of the Paris metro, as end-of-year festivities were taking place across the capital.
According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, the attacks occurred at around 4 p.m. at three different metro stations, including the République, Arts-et-Métiers, and Opéra. The suspect allegedly stabbed one woman at each station before fleeing the scene.
Police identified the man using surveillance camera footage from the metro stations. Officers then tracked the geolocation of his mobile phone, which allowed them to locate and arrest him later in the afternoon in the Val d’Oise region, north of Paris.
Prosecutors said they were initially unable to confirm the severity of the victims’ injuries. However, French daily Le Parisien, citing a police source, reported that the three women sustained minor injuries and were treated at the scene.
The suspect reportedly pulled out a knife and attacked the women at different points along Line 3, which connects the communes of Bagnolet and Levallois-Perret. The attacks caused alarm among passengers, particularly as the incidents took place during a busy period marked by holiday celebrations in the city.
Police sources told Le Parisien that the suspect is of Malian origin and was born in 2000. He was arrested later at his home following the police operation.
Authorities have reportedly ruled out a terrorist motive. According to the police, the attack is believed to have been carried out by a disturbed individual or someone considered psychologically fragile.
French prosecutors said further details are expected as the investigation continues.
