The Islamic State’s claim of responsibility on Friday for the attack in Trebes, southern France, is credible.
At least three people were killed in the attack which began with the ambush shooting of a couple in a car and police officers who were out running. The incident ended in a hostage situation at a Trebes supermarket.
According to French authorities, a senior officer from France’s elite GIGN special forces team swapped places with a female hostage in the supermarket and is now hospitalized in a critical condition along with two other victims.
The crisis ended when GIGN assaulted the supermarket, suffering one wounded officer and killing the terrorist, Redouane Lakdim.
While the French authorities say Lakdim was known to them, they also insist there were no apparent signs of his radicalization. That’s perhaps because Lakdim was radicalized in prison (a major problem in France), or that he hid his radicalization from the authorities.
Yet it’s notable that Twitter is rapidly filling up with ISIS claims of responsibility and replication tweets by supporters across the world. This suggests that ISIS knew the attack was coming and that Lakdim had at least some contact with the organization. Note here that ISIS attacks are rarely as simple as a suspect inspired to attack or a suspect directed to attack. The lines often blur.
In that context, the operative question for French authorities is what measure of contact Lakdim had with ISIS command officers and whether he is part of a broader cell.
The importance of the cell concern cannot be underestimated.
After all, as I noted last September, there are indications of operationally-directed ISIS cells on French soil. Moving in small groups and taking extensive security precautions, these cells are hard to detect. Many former ISIS fighters have also now returned to Europe.
French authorities will thus want to ensure that Lakdim’s attacks are not a precursor to other attacks to come either this evening or in the future.
Regardless, this is another reminder that ISIS — in directed and inspired forms — continues to pose a serious threat across Europe and the United States. Recognizing as much, President Trump must take heed of ISIS forces that are regrouping in eastern Syria.
