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Julian Bray writes: What is thought (but not confirmed) to be an IS terrorist attack in Nice, France, took place at around 22:30 CET (Thursday); using a large white box truck (camion). The vehicle was first driven slowly, then at speed ( driver now locally named as Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel ) along the Promenade des Anglais, directly into tourist and local crowds, over a one mile section, and has left at least 84 (Reuters) people dead, this includes 10 children, and over 100 (including 48 children) injured. These numbers are expected to rise. This live WEBCAM shows the camion (right of frame http://pv.viewsurf.com/?id=40
President Hollande in a press conference said he has extended the current State of Emergency by three months, and has mobilised 10,000 extra troops and called up all reservists.
No one has so far, actually claimed responsibility for the incident.
The white box Camion (truck) according eye witnesses 'deliberately driven at speed' into celebrating Bastille Day crowds standing all along the Promenade who gathered to watch an earlier huge night time firework display, as part of the French Bastille Day celebrations including the Nice Jazz Festival. The Festival has now been cancelled.
From the 19th century, the English chose NICE, 'the Bay of Angels' as their favourite winter holiday destination' and gave their name to the Promenade des Anglais, the British helping to construct it, with several rounds of public subscriptions, a project founded by the Reverend Lewis Way.
British Prime Minister Theresa May has called a COBRA security meeting later today (Friday), and a British consular team of 12, are already in Nice. Officials on the ground are suggesting this is a 'lone wolf' attack, and that we may in future see more of this type of activity by radicalised 'self-motivated' terrorists.
Eyewitnesses to the attack say a white truck (camion) deliberately targeted a large crowd of people and rammed into them at high speed, the driver then began driving erratically from side to side attempting to mow down as many people as possible.
Police riding on motorcycles alongside, made repeated desperate attempts to divert the camion, and pull the driver out of the cab ( now known to be a French Tunisian - locally named as Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel - resident of Nice - according to the AFP Agency - citing information from documents recovered later by police from the cab).
Other reports suggest a variety of weaponry being carried. Bullet holes in the camion windscreen fired from the outside appear to have struck the driver. "After the attack began, police fired on the truck and killed the driver" commented Sebastien Humbert, prefect for Alpes-Maritimes region.
According to agency reports, a search of the camion revealed a cache of guns and assorted explosive devices.
Videos posted to Twitter, some very graphic, show the attack in progress, with the camion slowly approaching the crowd with police alongside it. A sudden burst of speed, and it then deliberately rams directly into the waiting crowd, who were unable to escape, due to the density of the people packed together.
Later pictures show bodies where they fell, littered all over the Promenade des Anglais, covered with a variety of cloths, tarpaulins and coats. The area is now sealed off but the camion remains in situ, and still seen on live webcam images transmitted on Friday morning at 09:00 CET. http://pv.viewsurf.com/?id=40
JULIAN BRAY +44(0)1733 345581 Aerospace & Incident Management Expert, Journalist & Broadcaster, Aviation Security & Airline Operations, Travel / Maritime & Cruise Industry, NUJ, EQUITY, LIVE ISDN LINK, Broadcast ISDN COOBE ++44 (0)1733 345020 e&oe Old faithful NOKIA: 07944 217476 www.aviationcomment.com
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