France’s authorities say they think the man, who tried to attack the Louvre in Paris on Friday was a 29-year-old Egyptian man, reports said in Saturday.
Prosecutor Francois Molins said he is thought to have travelled to Paris from Dubai on a tourist visa last month.
Police are trying to establish if the man acted alone or under instructions, he added.
The machete-wielding attacker was critically injured after he was shot by French soldiers in a bid to stop him.
One of the soldiers received minor injuries when the man tried to enter the museum.
At the time of the incident, hundreds of visitors were inside the Louvre, which is home to numerous celebrated art works, including the Mona Lisa.
President Francois Hollande praised the soldiers’ actions, saying “this operation prevented an attack whose terrorist nature leaves little doubt”.
He told reporters at an EU summit in Malta on Friday that he expected the suspect to be questioned “when it is possible to do so”.
Prosecutor Molins said the Egyptian man had no identity papers but mobile phone data showed he had arrived in Paris on 26 January after acquiring a one-month tourist visa in Dubai.
However, he cautioned, the authorities have not yet formally established the suspect’s identity.
Egyptian security sources though say they have identified him, Reuters news agency reports.
He was believed to have been staying in the capital’s 8th district (arrondissement) which was searched in a police raid earlier on Friday.
There, he bought two machetes from a shop selling guns.
Source: BBC
RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report
