Nice attack: Lorry driver was known to police, but not to intelligence services

31-year-old was French-Tunisian resident of Nice

(Reuters)

The man who ploughed into crowds celebrating Bastille Day in Nice, killing at least 84 people and injuring 50, had a criminal past and was known to police, officials said.

The attack is being treated as a terrorist incident.

French media said police had recovered an ID card belonging to a 31-year-old resident of Nice who had dual French-Tunisian nationality. Authorities have not yet released the name of the suspect.

The lorry driver was known to French police for common law crimes such as theft and violence, police sources have said, but he had not been connected with any terrorist activity and was not known to intelligence services, or on the French intelligence services’ watch list, Reuters reports.

According to French police, the driver opened fire on the crowd and on police as he drove through the crowd on the sea front for 2km before he was shot dead by police.

Mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi said: “At the moment that he was shot dead by police, he had fired several times.”

Following the attack, “several fake rifles” along with an “inactive” grenade were found inside the 19-tonne vehicle, a police source said.