84 Dead, 10 Children in Bastille Day Terror Attack in France As Trucker Ploughs Through Crowds

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By Kieran Corcoran and Emily Zanotti | 7:30 am, July 15, 2016
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UPDATE, 2:00pm – The first photos of terrorist truck driver Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel have emerged – his mugshots.

A year ago in March, Bouhlel was arrested and convicted for a “road rage incident,” when Bouhlel attacked another motorist with a wooden pallet. He was booked in Nice, and police have provided photos from his arrest record.

At least one arrest has also now been made in connection with the attack: Bouhlel’s wife, Harj Khalfallah, who police say may have been aware of Bouhlel’s plans. Bouhlel and Khalfallah lived together with their three children, but she was reportedly in the process of a divorce.

UPDATE, 11:00am – French prosecutor François Molins said that a total of more than 200 people have been injured in the attack, 50 of whom are in critical condition.

In a press conference he said police have raided two addresses linked to  Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel.

Molins said that police carried out two raids this morning and seized a large stash of evidence.

He added that Bouhlel had a long criminal history including violent attacks. He was given a suspended prison sentence for one of them earlier this year.

Despite his past, Molins said he had never shown any “signs of radicalisation” before the attack.

UPDATE, 9:00am – President Hollande has addressed the nation. In his address, he revealed that the death toll could well spike soon, as 50 hospitalized victims are “hovering between life and death”.

UPDATE, 7:15am – The State Department said that two Americans were killed in the attack.

UPDATE, 7:15am – French police have confirmed the identity of the attacker, named as Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel.

A report by MailOnline claims Bouhlel was stopped by police yesterday but let go. He reportedly told them he was delivering ice cream to Nice.

UPDATE, 7:00am – The Pasteur Hospital near Nice said they are treating 50 injured children. Ten children have also been confirmed dead.

UPDATE, 6:30am – Police know the identity of the attack, but have yet to name him. It is believed he hired the truck on Wednesday, the night before he struck.

UPDATE, 4:45am – French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has declared two days of national mourning.

UPDATE, 4:00am – The death toll in Nice overnight has increased to 84 overnight, and will likely rise again. At least ten are children.

French police say they used surveillance footage to track the attacker’s truck from the hills around Nice down to the packed Promenade des Anglais street, where he ploughed through crowds, killing dozens.

The next stage, they say, is to find out whether the man had any accomplices.

The crashed, bullet-riddled truck could still be seen in Nice as the sun rose over the shell-shocked city:

Police and forensics experts investigate the bullet-ridden truck which killed dozens of people on July 14th
Police and forensics experts investigate the bullet-ridden truck which killed dozens of people on July 14th

In an address to the nation, president François Hollande said: “France is crying – she is hurting, but she is strong. She will always be stronger than those fanatics who want to hit us.”

The country was due to emerge from the long state of emergency – which gives police sweeping extra powers – declared after the Paris attacks in November.

But now authorities have decided to extend the state of alert for at least another three months.

UPDATE, 10:00pm – French authorities now say the truck driver was a 31-year-old resident of Nice, but of Tunisian origin. They are investigating whether he had ties to ISIS.

Police rush to respond to the horrific attacks, which came not long after a Bastille Day fireworks display
Police rush to respond to the horrific attacks, which came not long after a Bastille Day fireworks display

UPDATE: Donald Trump called of Friday’s planned Vice Presidential announcement due to the bloodshed in Nice.

***

At least 75 are dead and more than 150 injured after a truck loaded with weapons explosives and grenades plowed into a crowd watching Bastille Day fireworks in Nice, France.

The truck driver was killed in a shootout following the initial attack, French media reports. Initial reports suggested that the perpetrator acted alone, but the cache of weapons in the back of the truck has since lead authorities to believe a larger terrorist attack may have been planned.

French police are now warning others in Nice to stay indoors.

Revelers had been celebrating at the end of a fireworks show on Nice’s main street when the truck driver plowed into the crowd of approximately 40,000, reportedly accelerating as he drove toward and through the party-goers. The truck appears to have gone for at least two kilometers, killing and injuring dozens, before police were able to neutralize the driver.

There are conflicting reports as to whether the truck driver was also shooting into the crowd as he drove. Witnesses say they heard gunfire but were not able to determine where it was coming from.

Bystanders quickly took to social media to document the attack. Much of the unedited footage from those on the scene is very graphic, but this is primarily from news organizations.

Local media is providing the best account of what it’s like on the scene, with police and emergency vehicles now crowding the area where people had gathered just hours ago to celebrate Bastille Day.

French anti-terror authorities are taking over the investigation into the attack. Both French and US authorities believe that the attack is terrorism. Both ISIS and Al Qaeda have recently called on adherents to commit mass casualty attacks using vehicles.

French President Francois Hollande is returning to Paris. President Obama been briefed and has issued a statement.

 

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