
Truck terrorist Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel was an 'unlikely jihadist' who flouted every rule of Islam, a close family friend told MailOnline today.

The 31-year-old - who wreaked terror on the Nice seafront as he turned an evening celebrating Bastille Day into a night of terror in which he murdered 84 innocent people - drank alcohol, ate pork and took drugs.

He never prayed or attended a mosque, and hit his wife - with whom he had three children aged five, three and 18 months - and was in the process of getting a divorce.

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Monster: Truck terrorist Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel who murdered 84 on Bastille Day in Nice, was described by a close family friend as a 's***' and a 'nasty piece of work' who never observed the rules of Islam

A s***: Bouhlel's close family friend called the 31-year-old father of three an 'unlikely jihadist' who flouted every rule of Islam

Bad apple: He never prayed or attended a mosque, and hit his wife - with whom he had three children - and was in the process of getting a divorce, the close family friend told MailOnline

Bouhlel, who had been known to the French police since January, had been on the radar for six months for petty criminality.

It is understood he lost his job as a delivery driver when he fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into four cars and had also been involved in a bar brawl.

Walid Hamou, a close family friend of Bouhlel's wife Hajer Khalfallah, told MailOnline: 'Bouhlel was not religious. He did not go to the mosque, he did not pray, he did not observe Ramadan.'He drank alcohol, ate pork and took drugs. This is all forbidden under Islam.

He was not a Muslim, he was a s***. He beat his wife, my cousin, he was a nasty piece of work.

'He was not a Muslim, he was a s***.

'He beat his wife, my cousin, he was a nasty piece of work.'

Yesterday, he was stopped by police just hours before he crushed scores of people underneath the wheels of his 25 tonne truck and fired shots indiscriminately at police and innocent bystanders.

He told officers that he was delivering ice-cream to the area and was allowed to park on the waterfront for several hours.

Horrifying footage of the moment the truck turned into a deadly juggernaut were uploaded online within minutes, showing a trail of dead bodies left in its path.

Bouhlel's wife was taken into protective custody by police this morning.

Detectives had raided the 12th floor apartment she had shared with her estranged husband in the early hours of the morning and another rented property nearby.

More disturbing facts emerged about Bouhlel's frame of mind in the hours leading to his murderous rampage on the Promenade des Anglais.

NICE TERRORIST ATTACK: THE STORY SO FAR Here is what we know so far about the lorry attack in Nice. A terrorist drove a truck through crowds celebrating Bastille Day on Thursday night in the seaside city of Nice on the French Riviera, killing at least 84 people, including several children. Eyewitnesses said the driver swerved from side to side to kill as many people as possible as he drove for hundreds of metres along the Promenade des Anglais on the seafront. Christian Estrosi, the regional president in Nice, said at least 10 children were among the dead, and the death toll is expected to rise. A "small number" of Britons are injured. French authorities confirmed 202 people were wounded, 25 of which are on life support, while 52 are in a critical condition. The attacker is reported to be 31-year-old Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, a man of French-Tunisian origin who was not known to intelligence services. One witness said the driver produced a gun before being shot by police. No hostages were taken and the lorry driver was "neutralised", with authorities investigating if he was acting alone. Mr Estrosi said guns and grenades were found in the lorry. As the sun rose on Friday morning, the lorry could still be seen where it finally came to a halt, its windscreen peppered with bullet holes. France has declared three days of national mourning following the atrocity. French president Francois Hollande said the country's state of emergency would be extended for another three months. A military operation is in place allowing the mobilisation of 10,000 troops. Mr Hollande said the country's borders were being tightened, as he vowed that France would show "real force and military action in Syria and Iraq". London Mayor Sadiq Khan announced he will be "reviewing our own safety measures" following the attack. A Rihanna concert scheduled for Friday night at the Allianz Riviera stadium in Nice has been cancelled, as have the city's jazz festival, which was due to run from Saturday to Wednesday, and some of the Bastille celebrations over the weekend. Advertisement

Ransacked: French police raided a apartment Bouhlel was renting close to his estranged wife and ransacked the property, looking for clues

Lair: He lived in the shabby one bedroom flat in Abattoirs a northern suburb in Nice after he separated from his wife two years ago, whom he beat, a close family friend claims

Named: Bouhlel, who has three children aged five, three and 18 months, was forced to move out of the family home into this flat after his marriage broke down two years ago - it is believed the divorce proceedings were being carried out over the past few months

Left behind: A glove lies on the floor after being discarded by forensic investigation officers and police who launched a raid on the flat where Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel lived in a poor neighbourhood of Nice

TRUCK TERRORIST LAHOUAIEJ BOUHLEL KNOWN TO POLICE FOR ABUSE, THEFT AND 'USE OF WEAPONS' Killer Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel was known to police for violent abuse, theft and 'use of weapons' before he embarked on a rampage that would leave 84 dead. He had been arrested following a brawl in a pub on January 27 and his last appearance in a criminal court was as recent as March, when he was found guilty of violent contact. Delivery driver Bouhlel had also recently been put under probation after he fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into four vehicles on a highway, it is claimed in Spanish newspaper El Mundo. However, the man had never been associated with any acts of terrorism before the Bastille Day slaughter, and he was not under surveillance. Several of his relatives and close friends have been taken into police custody for questioning and simultaneous raids are continuing in the Abattoirs area of Nice. Neighbours of Bouhlel described him as a 'lonely' and 'silent' man, with one saying he never returned their greetings. Meanwhile, investigators are using the city's 1,200 surveillance cameras to track the route of the lorry before the attack. It is understood that Bouhlel had rented the truck on Wednesday from a specialist garage at Saint Laurent du Var by Nice Airport. Police have discovered CCTV footage of the moment he boarded the lorry in the hills around Nice, according to reports. It has also been claimed he was parked on the promenade for nearly nine hours before the attack, but was allowed to stay because he told police he was delivering ice cream. Documents found in the cab included an ID, a mobile phone and a credit card. Security sources said a huge cache of guns, grenades and 'larger weapons' were later found inside the lorry. Advertisement

Wissam, a Tunisian neighbour from the same village as the driver claimed: ‘On the Thursday night he was drinking with a colleague and they argued. His pal said you’re worth nothing and he replied: ‘One day, you’ll hear about me.’

Speaking to L’Express he said: 'Look this is someone who drinks, smokes cannabis.'

A neighbour called Hannan, who lived on the floor below, said: “He always looked at me oddly. He stared at us and we avoided him.’

Another neighbour described him as shifty and unwillingly to make contact.

Also, it now seems that the guns found in the van were fake and the grenade inoperable.

‘Why?’ said Wissam. ‘What was the point of that?'

It comes after Bouhlel was named by police as the terrorist who drove a lorry for more than a mile through crowds of people celebrating Bastille Day in the southern French city.

Not a Muslim: Walid Hamou, a close family friend of Bouhlel's wife Hajer, told MailOnline: 'Bouhlel was not religious. He did not go to the mosque, he did not pray, he did not observe Ramadan'

Notoriety: Wissam, a Tunisian neighbour of Bouhlel claimed: 'On the Thursday night he was drinking with a colleague and they argued. His pal said you’re worth nothing and he replied: 'One day, you’ll hear about me'

Shifty: A neighbour called Hannan, who lived on the floor below, said: “He always looked at me oddly. He stared at us and we avoided him.’

The attack left a trail of devastation, killing at least 84 people including 10 children, on the Promenade des Anglais.

After crushing scores of people with the lorry, the driver then got out and opened fire on the terrified revellers trying to flee.

Five police officers were able to end the attack by shooting dead the gunmen.

Mr Hamou, 30, said: 'My cousin is with the police. They took her way at about 11am this morning, for her own protection. She is at the police station now giving a statement.'

Bouhlel is understood have separated from his wife two years ago.

Neighbour Nassim, 33, told MailOnline: 'Bouhlel used to live in this block of flats with his wife and family. I lived next door to him.

Pictured, Forensics officers and police continue to work on the scene in Nice this morning and place victims of the atrocity in body bags

Carnage: Bouhlel's attack left a trail of devastation, killing at least 84 people including 10 children, on the Promenade des Anglais before he was shot dead by anti-terror police in France

Attack: The Frenchman used the 25-tonne lorry to go on a mile-long killing spree, ploughing through crowds during Bastille Day celebrations

Terror: The 31-year-old killer, a French Tunisian, had already come onto police radar for 'acts of violence and use of weapons' after violence following a pub brawl in January

Shootout: Police approach the cab where the gunman, named locally as Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, went on his rampage. It is not clear if this was taken as he was killed after this picture was taken with one witness saying he may have been hanging out of a window

Intense fighting: Police fired dozens of rounds into the cab of the lorry after its mile-long rampage with witnesses saying the suspect was firing out of the cab and died

Last stand: One eyewitness filmed armed officers approaching the cab of the lorry and firing through its windscreen and doors before it appears Bouhlet can be heard screaming after being hit by a police bullet

Did not follow Islam: Of the man who murdered 84 in Nice as revellers enjoyed Bastille Day, Walid went on: 'He beat his wife, my cousin, he was a nasty piece of work.'

'He was not a fanatical muslim. He drank alcohol, he chased girls, he went to nightclubs. He did not go to the mosque. He was not religious at all.

'He split up from his wife about two years ago. She is a lovely woman.'

Bouhlel had lived with his wife and three young children in a flat in a run-down apartment block in a poor neighbourhood of Nice.

He worked as a delivery driver, but is believed to have been fired recently after falling asleep at the wheel and crashing into four vehicles on a highway.

But he separated from wife Hajer some two years ago following a series of violent arguments, and he was said to have been depressed in recent months as their divorce had been finalised.

He had moved into a rented property nearby after their separation.

Slaughter: Dozens of bodies were left lying on the Promenade des Anglais after the horrific attack last night, which left at least 84 people dead

Violence: Despite allegedly questioning the driver, police officers in the southern French city did nothing to move him on as he waited to begin the attack

Horror: The Nice terrorist parked on the promenade for nearly nine hours yesterday before launching his horrific attack, but was allowed to stay because he told police he was delivering ice cream

Killing: French officers were able to put a stop to the horrific attack by shooting dead the driver at the scene

Emergency: Paramedics and emergency services fought desperately to save the lives of those injured

Emergency services helped wounded survivors into a fleet of ambulances to evacuate them from the scene for treatment

Council workmen were today repairing the front door of the former family home which had been smashed in by anti-terrorist police in the early hours of the morning.

Meanwhile detectives and anti-terrorist police were sifting through his belongings at the small rental apartment nearby where he had lived since the split. Forensic officers were investigating a white van outside the property.

One eyewitness last night filmed armed officers approaching the cab of his lorry and firing repeatedly through its windscreen and doors before it appears Bouhlel can be heard screaming after being hit by a police bullet.

The shootout came after his 30 minute rampage where he aimed at crowds watching fireworks and sent ‘bodies flying like bowling pins’ and left others ‘jammed’ under the lorry’s wheels at around 10.30pm local time last night.

Witness Nadar El Shafei told the BBC: 'He died inside the vehicle - I saw his head [hanging] out of the window , they kept shooting him from all sides just to be sure. Then they asked us to run away in case there were others inside the car or a bomb.'

Fear: President Francois Hollande said that the 'terrorist' nature of the attack 'cannot be denied', in a live speech following the horrific incident

End: The police said today that French Tunisian Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel died in the passenger seat of this 19-tonne truck after a shoot-out

Not religious: Walid Hamou, a close family friend of Bouhlel's wife Hajer Khalfallah , told MailOnline 'He drank alcohol, ate pork and took drugs. This is all forbidden under Islam. 'He was not a Muslim, he was a s***.'

Horrifying: Police and forensics teams inspect bodies in the French sunshine where at least ten died and 50 injured - many of them in buggies left abandoned today

Disaster zone: Bodies lie along the promenade showing the devastating route the lorry took as it went through huge crowds

Heartbroken men and women refused to leave the bodies of their loved ones and the dead remain strewn across the famous Promenade des Anglais today.

Hundreds have now laid flowers in their memory as President Hollande said 'many foreigners have died' and at least 50 more people are 'between life and death'.

French citizens, two Americans, one Armenian and one Ukrainian are among the dead with several Britons among the injured while dozens of panicked people have posted images of loved ones still missing using the hashtags #Nice06 and #recherchenice.

At least 10 of the victims were children, with young girls and boys lying dead covered in a blankets with their dolls and buggies still next to them.

Footage taken at the time of the attack shows bodies piled up in the roads and people running from their lives as they tried to avoid the zigzagging lorry while paramedics treated the injured and dying in the street.

Terror investigation: The French authorities say it is their third terrorist atrocity in 18 months and admit it could take some time to identify all the dead

Atrocity: At least a dozen bodies of victims covered by sheets remain at the scene of the terror attack today as the authorities try to identify them

United in grief: Parents of victims embrace each other near the scene of a truck attack in Nice where more than 80 were killed

Tears for the lost: Two young women, obviously grief-stricken, lay flowers and messages for the many people killed and injured in Nice last night

Broken: President Hollande has called for France to unite and said the world was again watching their country after another terror attack

Respect: Huge crowds have gathered in Promenades des Anglais with the lorry in the background this afternoon

United: A young boy leaves a bouquet of white flowers in Promenades des Anglais today surrounded by people of all races and religions

A woman and two children pay flowers tribute outside the French embassy in Moscow, Russia, after a Russian national died in Nice

The truck driver was said to have shouted 'Allahu Akbar' – God is great in Arabic – before being killed by officers. Pro-ISIS groups have been celebrating the attack, which coincided with France's most important national holiday.

Details of those killed are slowly emerging in the aftermath of the attack.

Hamza Charrihi, 28, held up an identity card belonging to her mother who was killed in the attack.

She told L'Express: 'She wore the veil of Islam and practiced a true and blanced religion…a real Islam. Not the one of the terrorists.'

Recovering from shock in a university building in the centre of Nice, turned into a shelter for relatives, she spoke briefly to pay testament to the memory of her mother.

Victoria Savchenko (pictured left), 21, was killed instantly when she was walking down the street and hit. Aurelie Remy, centre, A young boy who had been out with his aunt, are missing

Also dead are Brodie Copeland, 11, from Texas (pictured left on vacation in the French Riviera and right) who died along with his father, Sean

Father, Sean, 51, (pictured far left with wife Kimberly far right, and Brodie, centre) was also killed

Emilie Chevrier (pictured, left) was among the missing as well as Hugo (right), 16, whose brother is desperately trying to find hm

Alexandre Torre, Christelle Nunez and their daughter Lous are missing according to social media

Damien Allemand, a journalist for French regional newspaper Nice Matin saw the horror unfold.

He said the attack began just as the fireworks display ended as thousands of people were milling around the waterside.

'He rode up onto the Prom and piled into the crowd,' he said. 'A fraction of a second later, an enormous white truck came along at a crazy speed, turning the wheel to mow down the maximum number of people.

'I saw bodies flying like bowling pins along its route. Heard noises, cries that I will never forget.'

Witness Lucy Nesbitt-Comaskey told Sky News that the noise of gunfire 'sounded like Beirut'.

She said: 'I said to my friend 'This doesn't sound like fireworks, it sounds like Beirut when it's under fire'.

'All of a sudden people were screaming in the streets and running into all the restaurants.

Secure zone: The world's media has descended on Nice - with police erecting a large screen as they continue to look at the lorry (in the top right of the picture)

Chaos: This is the scene in Nice today where the lorry raced the length of the famed Promenade des Anglais, leaving 84 dead in his wake

Crime scene: The lorry used as a murder weapon remains on the French Riviera city's famed waterfront promenade with police gathering evidence and marking put bullet casings with yellow numbered signs

Aftermath: The scene on the attack on the Promenade de Anglais where the 31-year-old murderer hit as many people as he could before being killed in a shootout with police

Horror: Bodies are still strewn along the mile-long route as police admitted today that the man who killed them was known to them

Devastated: A man appears emotional as he sits near a French flag along the beachfront the day after the attack

Holidaygoers: People arrived back at the beach with their inflatables on Friday after the horrific attack the night before

Carrying on: One women in Nice decided to sunbathe on a wall close to where the attack happened on the Promenade des Anglais

'All the restaurants were open and people were coming.

'We were just sitting there and everyone came into our restaurant and the owners were saying 'Please don't go anywhere, come in, come in'.

Ms Nesbitt-Comaskey said she and her friend were planning to go to the fireworks but stopped to find a toilet and were only a block away when the attack happened.

Speaking about what she witnessed, she said: 'It was shocking, it was devastating and I cannot believe that I have come over here for a few days and I have got mixed up in something so tragic.

'It was just awful.'

Briton Will Shore was in a nearby bar when he heard gunfire and said his initial reaction was to run towards the city centre to see what was happening.

The Hotel Negresco was used as a make-shift triage centre to house survivors of last night's terrorist attack

At least 15 people are believed to be in a critical condition following last night's terrorist attack in Nice

Emergency services used bars, restaurants, casinos and hotels as triage centres to deal with the walking wounded

A massive security operation was launched in the aftermath of the deadly massacre with survivors evacuated with their hands up

He told the BBC: 'I kind of ran towards the centre of Nice where there was a rather large jazz festival, and something was going on. I immediately found that military and the local police were just ushering absolutely everybody out of the area.

'It was quite chaotic really. There was a lot of people screaming, running around and people were kind of being pushed over, I think, from people just being so frightened about what was going on, especially after hearing the gunshots.

'I had to help a couple of people up who were in distress on the floor because everyone was in such a panic.'

He added: 'You could genuinely see the fear and panic in people's faces when they were running away. It was a mass amount of people running away'.

President Hollande, pictured, was updated on the massacre as he flew to the crisis nerve centre last night with PM Manuel Valls, right

Bastille Day, which celebrates the storming of the Bastille prison in Paris during the French Revolution of 1789, is the country's biggest public holiday.

Nice mayor Christian Estrosi said: 'This is the worst Nice drama of history. We are terrified and we want to present to all the families our sincere condolences.'

He said flags in the city would be flown at half-mast, while a concert by US superstar Rhianna and the popular jazz festival have both been cancelled.

Horrific images depicting men and women lying on the side of a road close to the Promenade des Anglais appeared on social media.

Fireworks were filling the night sky as the drama unfolded, as the crowds enjoyed July 14th, which is always a Bank Holiday in France.