French police identifies Marseille knifeman

By Hajer M'tiri

PARIS

The knifeman, who stabbed two women to death at the main train station in the southern port city of Marseille on Sunday, has been formally identified as Ahmed Hanachi, a 29-year-old Tunisian, Interior Minister Gerard Collomb announced on Tuesday.

The attacker was shot dead by soldiers patrolling in the station as part of Operation Sentinel -- a nationwide security operation aimed at “protecting against and dissuading” attacks on French soil.

Terrorist group Daesh claimed responsibility for the attack on Sunday night.

Addressing lawmakers before a vote on a new anti-terrorism draft bill, Collomb said the attacker's fingerprints were taken in France and Italy throughout 2005 and 2006 and that he used several aliases.

Paris chief prosecutor Francois Molins said Monday that investigators are trying to determine the identity of the attacker, who is known to police under seven different aliases for robbery and drug-related crimes.

He added the suspect was arrested on Friday (Sept. 29) for shoplifting in Lyon but was released the next day.

Collomb said an investigation is launched to determine the conditions for his release.

France has been on high alert with enhanced security measures, having suffered deadly terror attacks over the last two years.