Attack During Ceremony
On Friday evening, a man attacked a French national gendarme with a knife and a pair of scissors during the daily rekindling of the flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier under the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. According to the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office (Pnat), the targeted gendarme was part of the honor guard for the ceremony. Another soldier responded by using his service weapon to neutralize the attacker.
Gendarme Unharmed, Assailant Succumbs to Injuries
The Pnat stated the attacked gendarme was not physically injured, as the knife struck the collar of his coat. The assailant, hit by several bullets, was transported to the hospital where he later died from his wounds. Prior to the attack, the man had called a police station in Aulnay-sous-Bois, threatening to “commit a massacre” and “kill cops,” according to a source close to the investigation.
Security Response and Investigation
A significant security cordon was established at the site, with temporary closures of access points, bus stops, and metro stations. The Pnat has opened an investigation for “attempted assassination of a person in public authority in connection with a terrorist enterprise.” The investigation has been entrusted to the anti-terrorism section of the Paris criminal brigade and the DGSI (General Directorate for Internal Security).
Profile of the Attacker
The assailant was identified as Brahim B., a French national born in 1978. He had been convicted in Belgium in 2013 to 17 years in prison for “attempted murders in connection with a terrorist enterprise” related to a 2012 incident in Molenbeek. Transferred to France in 2015, he was released from detention on December 24, 2025, after serving his sentence. He was subject to an individual administrative control and surveillance measure (MICAS), was on the S-file (state security watchlist), and was required to report daily to a police station.
Political Reactions
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez expressed his full support for the gendarme who “acted with composure and determination in the face of the terrorist threat.” President Emmanuel Macron, speaking from the Munich Security Conference, praised the gendarmes’ immediate response, stating security forces were “mobilized” and “intervened with force to stop this terrorist attack,” while emphasizing that vigilance remains permanent.
