A French soldier was on patrol, in uniform, with two other men as a part of France’s Vigipirate anti-terrorism surveillance plan when he was stabbed in the neck.
The suspect approached him from behind around 6:00 p.m. and stabbed him in the neck with a knife or box-cutter.
“The wound appears to be quite serious, but it's not life-threatening,” said Pierre-Andre Peyvel, police prefect for the Hauts-de-Seine area, according to Reuters. He further stated that the soldier had lost a considerable amount of blood but would survive.
President Francois Hollande commented, “We still don’t know the exact circumstances of the attack or the identity of the attacker, but we are exploring all options.”
The suspect has been described as a bearded man of North African origin about 30 years old; he was wearing an Arab-style garment under his jacket.
The attacker was able to immerse himself in a crowded shopping area in the La Defense neighborhood before the other two soldiers were able to react.
Considering the recent violent death of British soldier Lee Rigby, this attack has raised concern about potential copycat attacks. However, there has been no confirmation that there is any link between the two incidents, according to the Washington Post.