A Frenchman shouting “Allahu Akbar” rammed his car into pedestrians and cyclists on Ile d’Oléron, injuring ten in a suspected terror attack.
Île d’Oléron, France — Terror returned to France’s quiet Atlantic coast on Wednesday morning when a man in his 30s deliberately rammed his car into pedestrians and cyclists, injuring ten people, including a young girl, in what authorities are treating as a suspected Islamist attack.
According to BBC and French local reports, the suspect — a local resident known to police — drove at high speed between the villages of Dolus d’Oléron and Saint-Pierre-d’Oléron, striking multiple victims before crashing, attempting to set his vehicle on fire, and trying to flee on foot.
Police subdued him using a stun gun after he reportedly shouted “Allahu Akbar” (“God is greatest”), the hallmark cry of jihadist terrorists who have repeatedly targeted civilians across Europe.
🚨 A Calm Morning Turns to Chaos
“It was carnage,” said Mayor Thibault Brechkoff of Dolus d’Oléron.
“He drove for some distance between the villages, mowing down several people, including a young girl. He then tried to ignite his car before escaping.”
The attack occurred around 08:45 a.m. local time, a busy hour for morning commuters and families heading to school. Witnesses said the man appeared to deliberately target cyclists and pedestrians along the road, weaving between lanes to strike more victims.
Gas canisters were found inside his car, heightening fears that he planned a larger vehicle-borne explosive attack.
⚖️ Prosecutors Confirm Islamist Motive Under Investigation
Arnaud Laraize, the public prosecutor in La Rochelle, confirmed the suspect’s “Allahu Akbar” outburst and said the man was already known to police, though the extent of his prior offenses remains unclear.
France’s Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez immediately announced that a counterterrorism probe had been opened, and said he was traveling personally to the scene to oversee the investigation.
“Every indication points to a deliberate, ideologically motivated act,” one French intelligence source told Le Parisien, noting the use of religious slogans and gas canisters as “consistent with prior jihadist attacks.”
🇫🇷 France on Edge — Again
This attack adds to the growing sense of unease across France, where Islamist violence continues to puncture public life despite years of counterterrorism operations. From the 2016 Nice truck massacre to repeated assaults on Jewish targets and teachers, radicalized individuals have increasingly turned everyday public spaces into killing grounds.
Wednesday’s assault underscores the resurgence of lone-wolf jihadism — often emerging from domestic populations but inspired by global Islamist propaganda.
“Each of these attacks is not an isolated event, but part of a pattern of hatred targeting Western and Jewish values alike,” said one Israeli counterterrorism analyst.
✡️ Global Resonance and Israeli Perspective
For Israel, which has long battled the ideology that drives such attacks, France’s tragedy is another grim reminder that terrorism respects no borders.
The Israeli government has repeatedly offered intelligence cooperation and counter-radicalization support to European partners, emphasizing that Islamist extremism threatens all democracies — from Tel Aviv to Paris.
“Whether in Jerusalem, Nice, or Oléron — it’s the same ideology of hate, just different streets,” an Israeli security official commented.
🕯️ The Victims and the Vigil
Emergency teams rushed the injured to nearby hospitals, with several listed in critical condition. Local officials have organized a vigil for the victims in Saint-Pierre-d’Oléron, while security has been reinforced in coastal towns across western France.
As investigators piece together the suspect’s motives and affiliations, France braces for yet another painful reckoning with the deadly persistence of Islamist terror on its soil.
