French Consulate guard attacked with 'sharp object' by man in Saudi Arabia

A Saudi man was arrested after he attacked a guard at the French consulate in Jeddah with a “sharp object”, Saudi state TV reported on October 29. Soon after the attack, the French Embassy in Riyadh released a statement condemning the "attack by a knife which targeted a guard." As per the statement, the security guard, an employee of a private security company, was immediately taken to a hospital, and his health condition remains stable as of now.

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“The embassy of France strongly condemns this vicious attack against a diplomatic facility,” the statement read, adding that the embassy “affirms its full support for the victim and expresses its confidence in the Saudi authorities to uncover the circumstances of the accident and ensure the security of French facilities and the French community in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”.

The attack comes within hours of knife stabbing episode in French city of Nice. At least three people lost their lives and several were left injured in a knife attack on October 29 inside a church in the southern French city of Nice, said police. There have also been unconfirmed reports in French media that at least one of the victims had been beheaded. Christian Estrosi, the mayor of Nice, said that the attacker, who has been arrested, shouted “Allahu Akbar” while he was being restrained by police. Taking to Twitter, Estrosi has termed it a terrorist attack and called for an end to “fascism” in the country.

Rising tension between France and Islamic countries

The attack occurred amid rising tension between France and Islamic countries over the recent beheading of a French teacher who showed cartoons of Prophet Muhammad in class. Macron said that the teacher, Samuel Paty, "was killed because Islamists want our future" but France would "not give up our cartoons", triggering anger in the Muslim world. 

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Image credits: alarabiya.net