Anti-terror police hunt French soldier’s attacker

Private First Class Cedric Cordier was patrolling a business area of western Paris on Saturday as part of France’s ‘Vigipirate’ anti-terrorist surveillance plan.

The 23-year-old was approached from behind and stabbed in the neck with a small bladed knife at around 6pm.

Defence Minister Jean Yves Le Drian told reporters that the soldier had been targeted because of his profession. Private Cordier lost a lot of blood but is expected to survive the attack.

His attacker, who police sources said was a bearded man of North African origin, fled the scene.

Police are searching for the suspect, said to be around 30 years old, wearing an Arab-style garment under his jacket.

Copycat concerns

The stabbing comes just a few days after the murder of British soldier Lee Rigby, who was killed on Wednesday, raising fears it may be a copycat killing.

Though President Francois Hollande has warned against jumping to conclusions, interior minister Manuel Valls told France 2 television: “There are elements – the sudden violence of the attack – that could lead one to believe there might be a comparison with what happened in London. But at this point, honestly, let us be prudent.”

The President added: “We do not yet know the exact conditions and circumstances of the attack or the identity of the attacker. But we have to look at all possibilities. And as I’ve said several times, we will not ignore any possibilities. We will look at all elements. And we ask again that our soldiers, working under difficult conditions for Vigipirat, to be more careful and prudent. I wish the full recovery of the injured soldier.”

Scotland Yard would not comment on whether it was looking into any links between the attack and the murder of Drummer Rigby.

French security forces have been on heightened alert since their country launched a military intervention in the African nation of Mali in January to regain territory seized by Islamic radicals.

Last year three French paratroopers were killed by a man police described as a French-born Islamic extremist who then went on to strike a Jewish school in the south of France, killing four more people.