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Paris Machete Attacker Said To Be In Critical Condition


French police secure the site near the Louvre Pyramid in Paris following a machete attack on February 3 (file photo).
French police secure the site near the Louvre Pyramid in Paris following a machete attack on February 3 (file photo).

Authorities in France say that the machete-wielding man who was shot by a security guard at Paris’s Louvre Museum is in critical, life-threatening condition.

Officials say the man was shot five times during the February 3 incident, in which he shouted "God is greatest" in Arabic before lashing out at security guards.

A French prosecutor was quoted by the AP news agency as saying the attacker was a "resident" of the United Arab Emirates who arrived in Paris on a tourist visa on January 26.

Two days later, officials said, he purchased two military machetes at a gun store in the French capital.

Unnamed security sources in Egypt have identified the attacker as Abdullah Red al-Hamamy, a 29-year-old Egyptian citizen.

Prosecutors praised Louvre security for coping with "a very determined assailant."

One French soldier was slightly injured.

French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said the incident "appears to be an attempted attack of a terrorist nature."

Police are investigating whether the attacker acted alone.

Based on reporting by dpa, AP, AFP, and Reuters

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