The Islamic State group announced earlier that the Tunisian man who barrelled through a holiday crowd with a truck in the southern French city was one of its “soldiers” – the first claim of responsibility for the attack that killed 84 people at a fireworks display.
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Searches of Bouhlel’s computer revealed violent images “linked to radical Islam” and indicated that he had a “clear, recent interest” in radicalism, Paris prosecutor Francois Molins told reporters at a news conference this week.
In what represents backtracking from previous claims, Cazeneuve said only local police, who are more lightly armed, were guarding the entrance when Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel drove a 19-metric ton (20-ton) truck onto the sidewalk.
As the Bastille Day crowd enjoyed festivities, on Nice’s Promenade des Anglais, Lahouaiej-Bouhlel careered his massive white lorry towards them.
Saturday’s arrest of three people, which came on top of two others since the killing, including the attacker’s wife, concerned his “close entourage”, police sources said.
Authorities believe Bouhlel was radicalised very quickly, as he had never shown signs of religious fervour until recently.
“Daesh gives unstable individuals an ideological kit that allows them to make sense of their acts.this is probably what happened in Nice’s case”, Valls said, referring to the Arabic acronym for Islamic State. Mr Bouhlel said he learnt about the Algerian recruiter from extended family members who live in Nice.
Cazeneuve said 59 people are still hospitalized after the attack Thursday, 29 of them in intensive care, out of 308 people injured overall.
At the home of one of the suspects, an Albanian national, investigators found 11 telephones, cocaine and 2,600 euros ($2,900) in cash, according to a security official and the Paris prosecutor’s office.
Five other people were questioned and four remained detained.
Islamic State said the attacker was acting in response to its calls to target civilians in countries that are part of the coalition ranged against it.
The truck attack in Nice, France, has shattered the Marzouk family.
Joggers, bikers and sunbathers on Sunday cruised down the pedestrian walkway along the glistening Mediterranean Sea, where well-wishers placed flowers, French flags, stuffed animals and candles.
After the latest attack, the government called for volunteers to become reservists who can be called on to supplement the security forces – already on high alert under an eight-month-old state of emergency.
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That includes calling up thousands of reservists after facing severe criticism for alleged police and security failures in the deadly Bastille Day truck attack.
