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Monday, November 9, 2026Nov 9

A look at extremist attacks in France in the past few years

A woman lays a flower at the place of Thursday's attack on the Champs Elysees boulevard in Paris, Friday, April 21, 2017. France began picking itself up Friday from another deadly shooting claimed by the Islamic State group, with President Francois Hollande convening the government's security council and his would-be successors in the presidential election campaign treading carefully before voting this weekend. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)
A woman lays a flower at the place of Thursday's attack on the Champs Elysees boulevard in Paris, Friday, April 21, 2017. France began picking itself up Friday from another deadly shooting claimed by the Islamic State group, with President Francois Hollande convening the government's security council and his would-be successors in the presidential election campaign treading carefully before voting this weekend. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena) A woman lays a flower at the place of Thursday's attack on the Champs Elysees boulevard in Paris, Friday, April 21, 2017. France began picking itself up Friday from another deadly shooting claimed by the Islamic State group, with President Francois Hollande convening the government's security council and his would-be successors in the presidential election campaign treading carefully before voting this weekend. (AP Photo/Christophe Ena)

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the Thursday night attack that killed a Paris police officer and injured two other officers and a tourist on the Champs-Elysees. Officials haven’t said if they believe that claim is credible, but they believe he was operating alone. Here’s a look at other extremist attacks in France over the past few years:

July 26, 2016: Two Islamic State militants attack a church during morning Mass in the small town of Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray in western France, slitting the throat of the 85-year-old priest and wounding an 86-year-old parishioner. One nun escapes and gives the alert, and police shoot both attackers as they leave the church.

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July 14, 2016: During Bastille Day celebrations in the Riviera city of Nice, a large truck is driven into a festive crowd, killing 86 people. The driver is shot dead. Islamic State extremists claim responsibility for the attack. The state of emergency in France is extended and extra protection, including robust barriers to prevent similar attacks, is put in place at major sites in France.

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