Three soldiers were patrolling outside a Jewish communal building housing a Jewish radio station when Moussa Coulibaly rushed at one of the soldiers with a 20-centimetre (7.8-inch) knife aimed at his throat. Coulibaly only managed to wound that soldier in the face before wounding another soldier in the arm.[2][3][4][5] The bulletproof vests worn by the soldiers prevented more serious injuries.[6]
Coulibaly was arrested while attempting to flee.[3] Two accomplices allegedly fled the scene and were not apprehended.[7]
Perpetrator
Moussa Coulibaly, age 30, had previous convictions for armed robbery and drug-related crimes.[7][3] On 28 January 2015 he flew to Turkey, a popular destination at the time for young Europeans intending to fight for ISIL, but French security authorities contacted Turkish authorities who sent him back to France.[3][6]
He was questioned by police in December 2014 for aggressively sharing his religious beliefs in a gym in Mantes-la-Jolie, Ile-de-France, where he lived with his parents and siblings.[8] Police found handwritten documents about religion in the hotel room near the Gare de Nice-Ville where he was staying at the time of the attack.[8]