Five men believed to be linked to truck terrorist Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel who killed at least 84 people – including 10 children – after driving a lorry into a Bastille Day crowd have been arrested as police carry out raids in Nice.
A man covered with a towel was apprehended by French police this morning as the investigation continued two days after the savage attack on the Promenade des Anglais, reported Daily Mail.
Daily Mail further stated that officers arrested three people in Nice early on Saturday – and one on Friday night – in connection with the probe into the horrific incident when a truck rammed into crowds in the Riviera city.
The arrests come as ISIS claimed responsibility for the deadly attack and described Bouhlel as a ‘soldier of the Islamic State’. However, Bouhlel appeared not to have left behind any public declaration of his motive or indicated any allegiance to the Islamic State or another extremist group. Unusually for an attack of this scale and nature, no group claimed responsibility.
French authorities were investigating whether the 31-year-old lorry driver had acted alone or with accomplices, and if his motives were connected to radical Islam.
The new arrests concerned the attacker’s ‘close entourage’ and were made in two different areas of Nice. The driver’s estranged wife is also still being held by police.
Around 40 elite police officers were seen raiding a small apartment at Rue Miollis – north of the central station – where one man was arrested.
France has begun a period of national mourning for the 84 people who were killed following the attack in Nice.
Police raided Bouhlel’s home and held his estranged wife for questioning after he drove a truck into a crowd celebrating France’s National Day.
Officers discovered two automatic weapons, ammunition, a mobile phone and documents in the truck, as well as fake weapons at his home.
Bouhel was married with three children but it was reported that he and his wife were going through divorce proceedings.
The new arrests came as French President Francois Hollande met with the head of the armed forces and ministers after calling a meeting of his top security advisors in Paris.
Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the attacker probably had links to radical Islam, but Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve cautioned it was too early to make the connection.
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