Film obtained by Associated Press appears to show Ziyed Ben Belgacem grabbing soldier at Orly and trying to take her gun before being shot

This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

Video footage of a suspected Islamic extremist at Orly airport in Paris has emerged that shows a soldier caught by surprise when an attacker drops a shopping bag before grabbing her from behind. The recording of Saturday’s attack, which caused panic and shut down the French capital’s second biggest airport, was obtained by Associated Press.



It shows the attacker grabbing the soldier around the shoulders as her companion patrols slightly ahead. He drops his shopping bag, which authorities said contained a flask of petrol. Holding a revolver loaded with birdshot, he pulls her backwards.

For a few moments, almost no one reacts. One passenger rolls a suitcase past the hostage soldier and the second soldier continues on his way. Then, suddenly, people start backing away en masse as the attacker pulls his hostage toward them.

Yelling that he wanted to kill and die for Allah, according to the Paris prosecutor, Ziyed Ben Belgacem can be seeing trying to wrest away the soldier’s assault rifle near the small cluster of people.

The video shows Belgacem using her as a shield after he apparently manages to get control of the weapon, but he exposes himself by standing up, giving her comrades a clear shot. The hostage soldier crawls away from her dying attacker on her hands and knees.

The entire episode took less than three minutes. No one at the airport was injured. The footage was provided to the AP on the condition that the source not be revealed.

Earlier on Saturday, a police officer was shot in the face with birdshot when officers stopped Belgacem for a traffic violation.



Authorities say Belgacem, a 39-year-old Frenchman, had a long criminal record of drug and robbery offences.

Autopsy toxicology tests found traces of cocaine and cannabis in Belgacem’s blood, according to the Paris prosecutors’ office. He also had 0.93 grams of alcohol per litre of blood when he died. That is nearly twice the legal limit for driving in France. Prosecutors said Belgacem was at a bar early on Saturday.

In an interview on Sunday with French radio station Europe 1, a man who identified himself as the suspect’s father said Belgacem was not a practising Muslim and drank alcohol.