Paris prosecutor Francois Molins, who oversees terrorism investigations, said a search of Bouhlel’s computer had found a clear, recent interest in “radical jihadism”, adding that the attack was obviously premeditated though there was no proof that Bouhlel was directed by an extremist network.
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Voters also denounced the lack of restraint among competing politicians while many of those killed in Thursday’s attack on the seafront Promenade des Anglais boulevard have still to be identified or buried.
Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, 31, drove a 19-ton truck nearly more than a mile through revelers on Promenade des Anglais to watch the Bastille Day fireworks on the Mediterranean city’s waterfront Thursday.
Among the worshippers were several who were on the Promenade des Anglais when Bouhlel drove his truck at speed into the crowd.
The uncle of the truck driver who killed 84 people on the French Riviera says his nephew was indoctrinated about two weeks ago by an Algerian member of the Islamic State group in Nice, as anti-terrorism authorities question potential accomplices in the devastating attack.
France’s government, smarting from accusations that it did not do enough to prevent last week’s deadly truck attack in Nice, urged lawmakers yesterday to extend a period of emergency rule that gives police greater search-and-arrest powers.
According to France’s BFMTV, investigators have gleaned that Bouhlel-who left at least 84 people dead in the French city-had a busy sex life, with pictures of both female and male conquests on his phone.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls warned the country can expect more attacks and deaths and will have to “learn to live with the threat”.
French officials couldn’t confirm Monday that attacker Bouhlel had been approached by an Algerian recruiter, saying that the investigation is ongoing.
Emergency rule has been in place since attacks on Paris in November previous year in which Islamist militants killed 130 people.
“Everything that should have been done in the past 18 months was not done”, former president and opposition leader Nicolas Sarkozy, who is eyeing another run for the top job, said on Sunday.
The paper quoted Nice police officer Yves Bergerat, who said local police forces’ guns and bullets aren’t even equipped “to puncture the tires” let alone shatter the windshield of a truck that size.
“This awful attack shows that terror is directed against everyone without distinction”, said Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Speaking ahead of the nationwide minute-of-silence on Monday, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve accused the government’s opponents of unseemly behavior.
Six people are now being held in connection with the attack as authorities investigate possible links of Thursday’s slaughter may have had to the Islamic State, (Daesh).
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Authorities believe Bouhlel was radicalised very quickly, as he had never shown signs of religious fervour until recently.
