Carcassonne and Trèbes attack
On 23 March 2018, an Islamic terrorist carried out three attacks in the town of Carcassonne and nearby village of Trèbes in the Aude department in southwestern France, killing three people and injuring fifteen.
| Carcassonne and Trèbes attack | |
|---|---|
| Part of Islamic terrorism in Europe | |
| Location | Trèbes and Carcassonne, Aude, France |
| Date | 23 March 2018 |
Attack type | Hostage-taking, shooting, stabbing |
| Weapons |
|
| Deaths | 5 (including the perpetrator) |
| Injured | 15 |
| Perpetrator | Redouane Lakdim (self-proclaimed Islamic State member) |
| Defenders | Arnaud Beltrame (gendarmerie officer) |
| Motive | Islamic extremism Release of Salah Abdeslam |
Redouane Lakdim, a 25-year-old French Moroccan, first shot two men at the Aigles de la cité car park overlooking Carcassonne, killing one of them and seriously injuring the other. He then stole the car of the injured victim and drove into Carcassonne, where he opened fire on four police officers who were out jogging, seriously injuring one. He next drove to nearby Trèbes, where he attacked a Super U supermarket, killing an employee and a customer, and taking a female employee hostage. A senior gendarmerie officer, Lieutenant Colonel Arnaud Beltrame, exchanged places with the hostage. During the three-hour stand-off, Lakdim swore allegiance to the Islamic State and demanded the release of Salah Abdeslam, the only surviving suspect of the November 2015 Paris attacks. After Lakdim shot and fatally stabbed Beltrame, a GIGN tactical unit carried out an assault, during which the terrorist was shot and killed.
Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack. Beltrame was hailed as a hero and given a state funeral. In January 2024, six men and a woman went on trial in Paris in connection with the attack.