Man found decapitated in southeastern France in suspected Islamist attack

Men carrying an Islamist flag attacked several workers from US-based Air Products factory in the southeastern French commune of Saint-Quentin-Fallavier at around 10am, leaving a man dead and several wounded.

Several employees were evacuated from the site, where police sources said they found a dead body, apparently decapitated.

According to initial reports, at least two people approached the site and exploded gas containers at the premises.

"According to the initial findings of the enquiry, one or several individuals on board a vehicle, drove into the factory. An explosion then took place," a source told AFP.

"The decapitated body of a person was found nearby the factory but we do not yet know whether the body was transported to the place or not," added this source, adding that a "flag with Arabic writing on it was found on the scene."

The country's Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve arrived to the site and pointed out the attacker was named Yacine Sali, and added that several people close to the attacker have been arrested, presumably Salhi's family members.

Salhi had reportedly been on a security watch list after an investigation for radicalisation in 2008 but was never charged and has no criminal record.

According to radio station France Bleu Isère, citing sources close to the investigation into the attack, the decapitated victim was Sahli's former employer.

The French Council of the Muslim Faith (CFCM), the main body representing Muslims in the country, condemned the attack.

"The CFCM expresses its most profound indignation at these barbaric acts that cannot lay claim to any religion or any cause," said the group’s president Dalil Boubakeur.

French President François Hollande condemned the attack from the summit in Brussels, and confirmed that the suspect had been arrested and had already been identified.

"We all remember what happened before in our country… There is therefore a lot of emotion. But emotion cannot be the only response. [What is needed] is action, prevention and deterrence."

Hollande said he had received the solidarity of his European counterparts, and said he would head to Paris, where he will give a press conference at 14:30 BST from the Elysee to provide further details on the ongoing investigation.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls ordered tightened security measures on all “sensitive sites” in the region.

Former French president Nikolas Sarkozy said the attackers had "declared war against France, democracy, and civilisation itself".

The owners of the attacked factory, Air Products, released a statement confirming that the man killed was not an employee.

"We can confirm that an incident occurred at our facility in L'Isle-d'Abeau, France this morning."

"Our priority at this stage is to take care of our employees, who have been evacuated from the site and all accounted for," the company added.

Emergency services are on site and have contained the situation. The site is secure. Our crisis and emergency response teams have been activated and are working closely with all relevant authorities."

President Donald Tusk tweeted his condolences

Alain Juppé, Mayor of Bordeaux, also posted a tweet condemning the attack.

"The terrorist threat is at a maximum", he wrote, adding that France "must make every effort to protect its citizens".

The attack came six months after satirical French magazine Charlie Hebdo was attacked by Islamic militants, leaving 12 people dead, and the same day that a tourist hotel was attacked in Sousse, Tunisia, and that 25 people were killed in an explosion at a Shiite Muslim mosque in Kuwait City.

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