Neither Bouhlel nor any of those arrested were known to French intelligence services, Molins said.
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While the Islamic State group claimed the attack, describing Bouhlel as a “soldier”, investigators have not found direct proof of his allegiance to the jihadists.
“The investigation underway since the night of July 14 has progressed and not only confirmed the murderous premeditated nature of Bouhlel’s act but also established that he benefited from support and accomplices”, Xinhua quoted Molins as saying.
Video surveillance placed Chokri with Bouhlel in the truck on Nice’s Promenade Des Anglais before Bouhlel set off on his murderous rampage, driving the truck more than a mile along the famous waterfront avenue as it was crowded with people.
People stand in front of flowers, candles and messages laid at a makeshift memorial in Nice on July 18, 2016, in tribute to the victims of the deadly attack on the Promenade des Anglais seafront which killed 84 people.
Lahouaiej-Bouhlel and a 30-year-old French-Tunisian with no previous convictions had phoned each other 1,278 times in a year, Mr Molins added.
Prosecutor Francois Molins also said on Thursday that Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel had help from five suspects now in police custody.
Only one of them, a 22-year-old Franco-Tunisian, Ramzi A, who was born in Nice, had a criminal record for robbery and drug offences.
Bouhlel was also reported to have taken a photo in May, a year ago of a brief about the drug Captagon, which Molins said was “used by some jihadists responsible for attacks”.
Hollande said Cazeneuve, who has shrugged off opposition calls to resign, had his “full confidence” and announced he would ship weapons to Iraqi forces fighting the Islamic State (IS) group which claimed the attack. The prosecutor said a text message from the same man found on a phone seized at Bouhlel’s said: “I’m not Charlie; I’m happy. They have brought in the soldiers of Allah to finish the job”.
People attending Pope Francis’ meetings with world youth in Poland should expect detailed security checks before entering, police said Friday.
Earlier, the French newspaper Liberation said Cazeneuve lied about the whereabouts of the national police officers and cars in Nice on July 14.
French President Francois Hollande on Thursday promised “truth and transparency” from an inquiry into allegations of lax security.
On Thursday, parliament finalised adoption of a bill extending the emergency laws for a fourth time, after it was toughened up by the right-dominated Senate.
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France imposed emergency rule after the November 13, 2015, attacks carried out by Islamist militants that killed 130 people in Paris and left scores of others wounded.
