Mohamed-Aggad reportedly travelled to Syria in late 2013 as part of a group of radicalised youth from Strasbourg that included his brother. Cotta declared Mohamed-Aggad had told his family months ago that he would go to Iraq to detonate a suicide bomb and that he would never go back to France, the lawyer told BFM television.
Advertisement
French national Foued Mohamed-Aggad (23) was named by police as one of the three men who stormed the popular music venue and killed 89 people in the bloodiest of several attacks in the French capital three weeks ago. Members of the group later told investigators they went to take part in a humanitarian mission, not to fight for IS. He was one of three gunmen who attacked the Bataclan concert venue, killing 90. The Bataclan attackers, who carried automatic weapons and wore suicide vests, were responsible for the worst of the carnage. The attackers sprayed gunfire and slaughtered people inside the concert hall for 20 horrific minutes.
The attack was launched as the American band Eagles of Death Metal played to an audience of about 1,500 people.
His journey did not quite go to plan, Le Monde says, as Mohamed-Aggad missed his flight in December 2013, leaving others waiting for him in Turkey.
Police suspect the Strasbourg group had been recruited by Mourad Fares, 31, considered a key online recruiter for Isis.
President Barack Obama paid a midnight tribute to the victims last week, laying a single white rose at the Bataclan club. All are charged with terror-related offences and face trial.
Besides the Bataclan attackers, police have established that Bilal Hadfi, 20-year-old French national, and M.al-Mahmod, had blown themselves up at Stade de France.
The official, who requested anonymity to reveal details of the investigation, said the mother received the text in English.
“I can’t believe it was him”, said Yazar Mesut, a 46-year-old neighbour, speaking in one of the town’s bars.
The other two attackers at the hall have been identified as 28-year-old Samy Amimour of Drancy, northeast of Paris, and 29-year-old Ismail Omar Mostefai of Chartres, southwest of the city. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility. It was also hard because of the lack of physical remains, but French police used DNA samples and compared them to Mohamed-Aggad’s family.
Advertisement
They were with an unidentified man who apparently carried a fake Syrian passport under the name Ahmad al-Mohammad.
