A man was arrested in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, after stabbing a guard at the French consulate, state media have reported.
According to Sky News Arabia, the guard was injured with a sharp object. He was hospitalised and his life is not in danger, the French Embassy said.
The suspected attacker is a Saudi citizen, he was detained by police, the embassy added.
"The assailant was apprehended by Saudi security forces immediately after the attack. The guard was taken to hospital and his life is not in danger," a statement by the embassy reads.
The French consulate in Jeddah has issued a statement condemning the attack.
#Saudi citizen attacks French Consulate guard in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The man has been arrested by security forces. French Embassy asks diplomats and officials to remain vigilant and safe. pic.twitter.com/8s801wlaoN
— Gautam Aggarwal (@gauaggbjp) October 29, 2020
The incident comes just a couple of hours after three people were killed and several others injured by a knifeman in Nice, France. According to the mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, the perpetrator shouted 'Allahu Akbar'. The incident could qualify as a possible terrorist attack, Estrosi added. In another incident, also on Thursday, a knife-wielding man attempted to attack police officers in Avignon.
On 16 October, a radicalised 18-year-old man of Chechen origin beheaded French teacher Samuel Paty, after he had shown his pupils cartoons featuring the Islamic prophet Muhammad. For Muslims, any image of the prophet is considered blasphemous.
French President Emmanuel Macron described the attack against Paty as a terrorist act and described Islam as "a religion in crisis". His statements provoked strong criticism from Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who called for a boycott of French goods.
