France attacker's girlfriend 'known to security services'

Local media in France are reporting that security services knew about the girlfriend of the perpetrator of last weeks attack in the south-west region of the country, in which four people were killed -including a police officer- and 15 others injured.

A source close to the investigation told the AFP news agency the 18-year-old French woman, who is in custody, showed "signs of radicalisation".

The gunman, whose name was revealed as Redouane Lakdim, was initially on an extremist list before being removed from it after it was decide he was not a threat.

Tributes from all corners of the country have been pouring in for the victims and most notably the police officer, who was killed after he swapped places with one of hostages.

The 25-year-old attacker's girlfriend, who is yet to be named, is an Islam convert and has been on the radar of the security services for nearly a year. Aside the girlfriend, a 17-year-old friend of the attacker has also been arrested.

Morroco-born Lakdim -a petty criminal- became a French citizen in 2004 and was flagged as as a potential security threat in 2014.

Lakdim is said to have demanded the release of Salah Abdeslam, a surviving suspect of the November 13, 2015 attacks in Paris, which claimed the lives of 130 people. He also pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State group during the attack.



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