A terrorist attack has killed over 80 people, including several children, in Nice during the city’s annual Bastille Day celebrations. Eyewitnesses report a truck “zigzagging” through crowds with an “intent to kill”.

The local prosecutor’s office has stated that at least 80 people are known to have died, with over 100 injured.

Eyewitnesses state the driver leapt from the vehicle and began firing into the crowd, before Police officers returned fire. It is understood the driver has been killed. French security services have identified the driver as a 31 year-old Franco-Tunisian national who was “known to police”.

The attack occurred on the popular Promenade de Anglais, which was packed with “tens of thousands” of tourists watching a Bastille Day firework show.

Christian Etrosi, prefect of the region Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, stated the truck was loaded with “arms and grenades” while speaking to press, fuelling fears the attack may have been perpetrated by an organised group. Dutch media have already reported IS claiming responsibility for the attack, a report which has yet to be verified.

The attack comes less than a year after an IS attack killed 130 people in attacks across Paris, centring on a concert at the Bataclan theatre. Earlier in the day President François Hollande had announced that the State of Emergency put in place after the November attacks is to be lifted on July 26th.

President Hollande was rushed back to Paris from Avignon to chair an emergency meeting of French officials. He has now declared three days of mourning following the attack. Prime Minister May was briefed as the situation developed.

Updated 10:08AM BST

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George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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Michael Wadeson
7 years ago

Is it confirmed as a terrorist attack? The media reports are uncertain

UK Defence Journal
7 years ago

Hi Michael, local prosecutors have handed over the investigation to anti-terrorism investigators.

Mal Sutcliffe
7 years ago

Have been a couple of witnesses claiming to of heard “gunshots” yet no official confirmation of this yet. Could of well been fireworks for all we know presently.

Michael Wadeson
7 years ago

Indeed but the only details given on the media appear to be speculation and here say

Mal Sutcliffe
7 years ago

Given anti-terror police are now in charge of investigation I’d say it’s fair to assume it was a terrorist attack, maybe just a lone nutjob though as no group has claimed responsibility at all. (Source was French radio station around 3 minutes ago).

Michael Wadeson
7 years ago

It is looking likely but I will wait for the official announcement

Neil Gaffney
7 years ago

Michael Wadeson wake up mate it was hardly an accident.

Michael Wadeson
7 years ago

What I am saying is wait for the official announcement. I recall a truck accident some years ago where 20 plus were killed after a driver had a heart attack and was trying to get control of the vehicle but eventually died in the process along with civilians.

Michael Wadeson
7 years ago

Neil Gaffney And I am fully awake, thankyou! Probably more than you!

Rob Dean
7 years ago

Mal Sutcliffe the truck windscreen was littered with bullet holes, looks like the gunfire heard was the police killing the driver

Michael Wadeson
7 years ago

Are those reports confirmed by anything other than media reporters?

Simon Gurden
7 years ago

All reports are confirmed. It has been handed to terrorism investigators, the police shot the assailant dead, and guns and grenades have been found in the vehicle.

Mal Sutcliffe
7 years ago

Thanks for update Rob Dean, had to go out quick so couldn’t keep up with news.

Michael Wadeson
7 years ago

Simon Gurden Hey. Confirmed by who? I am not saying it is not a terror attack but I must work from actual intel and not just from conjecture and media speculation from unconfirmed reports.

Tom Myzak
7 years ago

Michael I hardly think that a truck driver would have a cache of guns and grenades in his waggon – the French President has confirmed its a terror attack

Michael Wadeson
7 years ago

Again, only hearsay through the media reporter and not an announcement by an official at the time of my posting.

UK Defence Journal
7 years ago

Hi Michael, there have now been three statements from the French government on this.

Tom Myzak
7 years ago

Why would they all lie Michael?

Michael Wadeson
7 years ago

UK Defence Journal I have all the updates but just saying that at the time of my original post, there was no official confirmation as of 11 hours ago.

Michael Wadeson
7 years ago

Tom Myzak No one is saying that they are lying but reporters initially report information that they have heard but not confirmed. Only positive intelligence can give an accurate picture. From the eyewitness interviews and phone footage shown this morning, it would appear that many there were not sure it was an attack until they heard gun fire and then some further away thought it could have been fireworks.

Simon Gurden
7 years ago

Well then your initial scepticism has been proven wrong

Michael Wadeson
7 years ago

Simon Gurden Not scepticism at all. I just don’t jump to conclusions based on hearsay and rumour. Even the BBC are now reporting that there are still details to be discovered as the situation becomes clearer.

UK Defence Journal
7 years ago

The French President has now said it was a terrorist attack.

Neil Gaffney
7 years ago

Michael Wadeson it was hardly a tragic accident.

Michael Wadeson
7 years ago

Try reading my updates and not just the initial posts created prior to the facts being confirmed.

Simon Gurden
7 years ago

Despite the French president, mayor of nice, our government, world leaders, chief of police, eye witness accounts you are still persisting with the scepticism

Robert Billeza Espellarga

france again?

Jason Surrage
7 years ago

Here we go again. If this isn’t a terror attack I’ll be very surprised.

Greg Griffiths
7 years ago

Unbelievable scenes. So sad

Glenda Davis
7 years ago

Open boarders it appears are not such a good idea, Very sad!

मुकेश यादव

what is happening in europe

Michael Wadeson
7 years ago

If this is not a rhetorical question, a truck has plowed into a crowd of Bastille day celebrators in Nice, France and 70 plus are dead

मुकेश यादव

bloody radical islaam

George Rooney
7 years ago

Well done West for getting rid off Gaddafi, Hussein and nearly Assad. Really made the world safer fighting Israels wars..

David Julian Price
7 years ago
Reply to  George Rooney

Gaddafi was developing nukes, Hussein had Al Quaeda connections and like Assad was gassing his people. Hard to prove the world would have been more peaceful with them still in place.

Simon Gurden
7 years ago
Reply to  George Rooney

Give it a rest will you

David Johnson
7 years ago
Reply to  George Rooney

Imbecilic comment

George Rooney
7 years ago
Reply to  George Rooney

Gaddafi gave up his nukes in exchange for normalised relations with the West. Ask Tony Blair.

Hussein ruthlessly purged Islamic terrorists like AQ, that’s why they tried to assanisate him. They have filled the power vacuum subsequently as Islamic state caliphate

It was the Western backed invaders of Syria fighting Israels proxy war that first and repeatedly used chemical weapons against Syrian army, read the UN reports

Finally stop playing with your toy soldiers and get educated if you really care about the military and the good people that serve us

Rob Dean
7 years ago

Sickening what is coming out of Nice tonight…. All the worse when you realise that there will be children involved in this 🙁

Andi Nugraha
7 years ago

Criminal

Panglima Hitam
7 years ago

just another fucking tragedy to blame the muslims immigrants and block them from entering the Europe

Suresh Modi
7 years ago

We condemn the terrorist attack in France.

Suresh Modi
7 years ago

No Mercy on enemies!

Andrei Kornievski
7 years ago
Benny Chan
7 years ago

raised the white flag frenchies…

Ian Hughes
7 years ago

I don’t get why France has become the target for terrorists

Neal Evans
7 years ago

All them innocent people ,cowardly basturds

Ann Thompson
7 years ago

Sick wankers

Dan Wheatley
7 years ago

The death toll is now 84 with hundreds injured.

Simon Gurden
7 years ago

France has a huge integration problem. Something we may suffer if we continue isolating groups of people into separate communities.

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