Disturbing Video Captures Syrian Refugee Stabbing Toddler in French Playground Attack
At around 9:45 am, Abdalmash H, 32, initiated his horrifying rampage at a popular lakeside park in Annecy, a picturesque town in southeastern France.
In a distressing scene captured on video, the attacker can be seen rushing into the small playground, relentlessly stabbing a toddler in his pram. The child’s terrified mother desperately attempts to shield her child from the vicious assault.
In additional footage, the assailant, a Syrian refugee who arrived in France the previous year, is seen being subdued by armed police officers in the park after being pursued by local residents away from the playground.
Witnesses, shocked by the horrifying incident, recount how panicked mothers ran past them, urging others to flee the scene. President Emmanuel Macron has condemned the attack as an act of “absolute cowardice.”
The attack left four children, approximately three years old, including a British girl, and an adult with serious injuries. Two of the young victims and the adult are currently in critical condition at a nearby hospital.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as chaotic, with the attacker specifically targeting the preschool children who were playing in the small playground. They believe the assailant viewed the toddlers as vulnerable and easy targets.
Witnesses recounted a disturbing incident where they heard the assailant shouting before launching an attack on the small children at the playground. Among the injured was a child in a stroller. Shocking video footage depicted Abdalmash H brandishing a knife as he charged towards a mother, who was desperately trying to protect her young son in the stroller. A local man intervened by striking the attacker with his rucksack, prompting him to flee momentarily.
However, the assailant returned to the playground and targeted the mother and her toddler once again. Despite the woman’s attempts to shield her child, the attacker swiftly maneuvered around her and inflicted two more stab wounds on the little boy. The child’s agonizing screams echoed as panicked parents joined in the desperate plea for help while the assailant made his escape.
Nevertheless, the chaos persisted as Abdalmash H retraced his steps and stabbed the child in the stroller once more, right before the horrified eyes of the mother. He was soon chased away again, this time by a local man who hurled his bag at the assailant.
Additional footage captured moments after the stabbing showed a pursuit of the attacker by locals throughout the park. In the background, distressed parents could be heard urgently calling for assistance for their injured children.
Shortly thereafter, armed police arrived at the scene, initiating a chase of the suspect. A gunshot rang out, and the attacker fell to the ground, leading to a tense struggle with the officers. Abdalmash H was eventually apprehended and arrested for the assault, which left four children and an adult with severe injuries.
The UK Foreign Secretary, James Cleverly, confirmed that a British girl was among the injured. According to police sources cited by BFMTV, a two-year-old boy and his three-year-old sister were in critical condition. C-News reported that a two-year-old British girl and a 22-month-old German boy were also harmed in the attack. Furthermore, a 70-year-old man, who happened to be sitting on a bench during the assailant’s rampage, suffered a stab wound to the neck and was swiftly taken to the hospital.
Witness Ferdinand, who recounted the incident to BFM TV, described how the assailant burst into the playground, shouting, and began relentlessly attacking the young children with a knife. Another witness, George, the owner of a nearby restaurant, shared the scene of mothers crying and people frantically running for safety.
An anonymous witness, speaking about the attacker, stated, “The man was shouting in English and caused absolute panic when he started attacking the little ones. He wanted to hurt as many people as he could. He caused carnage. The young children were just easy targets.”
According to witnesses, one of whom spoke to Le Dauphine, a person was seen attacking children who were playing games, specifically targeting the younger ones. When people tried to intervene, the attacker walked away, and the police subsequently arrived.
Former Liverpool footballer Anthony Le Tallec shared his experience, stating that he saw a group of people running towards him. A mother shouted for him to run, explaining that someone was stabbing everyone along the lake, including children. Le Tallec continued, describing how he was taken aback and continued on his way, but suddenly the attacker appeared right in front of him. Although the police were close behind, they had not yet managed to apprehend the assailant. Le Tallec moved out of the way, and he claimed that the police shot the suspect in front of him to subdue him. He urged the police to shoot, as the attacker was stabbing everyone. Le Tallec witnessed the person being shot and falling to the ground. He later saw children on the ground near the lake, which saddened him. He also remarked on the slow response of the police in triggering their action.
Another witness told BFMTV that he saw first aiders attending to “little bodies, three or four years old, perhaps.”
The Interior Ministry confirmed that the assailant, Abdalmash H, is a Syrian national with legal refugee status in France. He arrived in the country last year and was not previously known to security agencies. The motives behind his actions remain unclear, according to an investigative source.
An investigating source revealed that Abdalmash H, who is a married father with a three-year-old child, is a devout Christian. He had spent a significant amount of time in Annecy. The source mentioned that Abdalmash H legally entered France from Sweden, where he married a Swedish woman.
At the time of his arrest, Abdalmash H was found to be carrying a prayer book and a cross, indicating his religious beliefs. Verified pictures shared on social media show him approaching the children, wearing shorts, sunglasses, and a scarf around his head, before launching the attack. He was swiftly apprehended by armed police officers and another individual after a brief struggle. Videos depict the officers and the man pinning the attacker down on the grass before he was taken into custody. Abdalmash H sustained serious injuries during the incident and was transported to the hospital, along with his five victims.
