Paris officer shoots dead Islamist attacker near Arc de Triomphe

On the evening of February 13, a man armed with a knife attacked a police officer near the Arc de Triomphe in Paris during preparations for the ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

One officer opened fire, fatally wounding the attacker, who later died in a hospital from his injuries, according to the prosecutor’s office. The police officer was unharmed.

French President Emmanuel Macron described the incident on X as an “Islamist terrorist attack” and praised the rapid response of law enforcement, Caliber.Az reports.

À l’Arc de Triomphe ce soir, alors que la Flamme était ravivée, une attaque terroriste a visé la Garde républicaine.

Je salue le courage et le sang-froid exemplaires de nos gendarmes et de nos militaires de Sentinelle : ils ont mis fin à l’attaque et évité le pire.…

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) February 13, 2026

“Tonight at the Arc de Triomphe, as the Flame was being rekindled, a terrorist act was carried out against the Republican Guard. I highly commend the exemplary bravery and composure of our gendarmes and soldiers of the ‘Sentinel’ unit: they ended the attack and prevented a far worse outcome. <…> In the face of Islamist terrorism, the flame of the Republican revolution will always burn,” the French leader wrote.

According to French media reports, the attacker shouted: “You shouldn’t have killed our women and children! Let’s see who wins under the Arc de Triomphe!” Prior to the assault, he called the police and threatened to carry out a massacre.

Investigators identified the suspect as a 46-year-old French citizen who had a prior criminal record in Belgium for attempted murder and terrorist offences.

By Tamilla Hasanova