At Least 4 Children, 2 Adults Injured In Knife Attack In Eastern France - Reports

An unidentified man attacked people with a knife near the city of Annecy in eastern France on Thursday morning, injuring at least four children and two adults, French TV channel BFMTV reported

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th June, 2023) An unidentified man attacked people with a knife near the city of Annecy in eastern France on Thursday morning, injuring at least four children and two adults, French tv channel BFMTV reported.

One child was hospitalized in a serious condition, the report said.

French President Emmanuel Macron has condemned the attack.

"An attack of unprecedented cowardice took place this morning in the park of Annecy. Children and adults were left between life and death. The country is in shock. Our thoughts are with the families of those attacked and those trying to save them," Macron tweeted.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has also condemned the attack and expressed his support for those injured.

"My thoughts are with all of those affected by the shocking attack in Annecy this morning. As Emmanuel Macron has said, it was a truly cowardly act. The UK and France have always stood together against acts of violence, and we do so again today," Sunak said on Twitter.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that one of the injured children was a German citizen and expressed his support for the wounded and all the French people.

"Dear Emmanuel Macron, our thoughts are with the victims, their families and the entire French people. Germany is shocked by this inhuman and despicable act in Annecy," Scholz tweeted.

Earlier in the day, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported, citing a police source, that at least six children and one adult had been injured as a result of the knife attack. Many of the children were about three years old, the report said, adding that three of them were in critical condition.

The assailant was later detained by the police, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said. The man is a Syrian who has requested asylum in France, BFMTV reported.

UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said that one of the children injured in the attack was a British citizen. He added that London had engaged UK consulate staff who were on their way to France to assist the child's family.