UAE strongly condemns stabbing attack targeting park in French Alps

Abu Dhabi: The UAE strongly condemned the stabbing attack that targeted individuals, among them children, in a park in Annecy in the French Alps region and resulted in numerous critical injuries.

In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) affirmed that the UAE expresses its strong condemnation of these criminal acts ‏and its permanent rejection of all forms of violence aimed at undermining security and stability in contravention of human values and principles.

The Ministry expressed its sincere condolences and sympathy to the government and people of the French Republic and to the families of the victims of this heinous crime, as well as its wishes for a speedy recovery for the injured.

Children fight for their lives after knife attack

On Thursday, Four toddlers and two pensioners were stabbed in a knife attack in the tranquil French mountain town of Annecy and the government said the suspected assailant was a Syrian refugee.

Two of the wounded children and one adult were in hospital in a life-threatening condition, while the other victims were less seriously hurt.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said the suspected attacker, who was in police custody, was a 31-year old Syrian national who was granted asylum in Sweden 10 years ago. He had entered France legally, she said, and was carrying Swedish identity documents and a Swedish driving licence.

The local prosecutor leading the investigation said there was no indication that terrorism was the assailant's motivation. He was under investigation for attempted murder.

The four children were just toddlers, aged between 22 months and three years, Annecy prosecutor Line Bonnet-Mathis told reporters. One of them was a British national, another was Dutch, Bonnet-Mathis said.

As the assailant, who wore a blue-chequered headscarf and sunglasses, slashed at his victims, one bystander tried to stop him by throwing his backpack at him, the video showed.