Turkey warned France that Jihadist church attacker was a risk
- 8 years ago
SAINT-ETIENNE-DU-ROUVRAY, FRANCE — The second man involved in the Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray church attack has been identified and reports say that French authorities had been forewarned about him by foreign intelligence sources.
According to Reuters, French church attacker Abdel-Malik Nabil Petitjean was questioned by Turkish authorities in Istanbul on June 10. He returned to France on June 11, but Turkish intelligence didn’t inform the French until later in the month.
French intelligence created a file on him suspecting he’d been radicalised. Reports say there may be around 10,500 people with similar files.
“We know that he turned around and returned on June 11,” a source told Reuters. “The Turks hadn't yet flagged his name, so he came back normally, there was no file at this point, he wasn't known to us.”
On July 22, information from a second foreign intelligence source led France to circulating a photo of a suspect believed to be planning a terrorist attack. The man in this photo is now believed to be Petitjean.
Meanwhile, French police have detained three people close to Petitjean, including a man who travelled with him to Turkey in June, Reuters reported.
According to Reuters, French church attacker Abdel-Malik Nabil Petitjean was questioned by Turkish authorities in Istanbul on June 10. He returned to France on June 11, but Turkish intelligence didn’t inform the French until later in the month.
French intelligence created a file on him suspecting he’d been radicalised. Reports say there may be around 10,500 people with similar files.
“We know that he turned around and returned on June 11,” a source told Reuters. “The Turks hadn't yet flagged his name, so he came back normally, there was no file at this point, he wasn't known to us.”
On July 22, information from a second foreign intelligence source led France to circulating a photo of a suspect believed to be planning a terrorist attack. The man in this photo is now believed to be Petitjean.
Meanwhile, French police have detained three people close to Petitjean, including a man who travelled with him to Turkey in June, Reuters reported.