The high-stakes nature of the security incident occurred on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, at the Arc de Triomphe, center city of Paris. The attacker, determined by French authorities to be a radicalized subject and to be responsible for several similar offenses, was fatally shot by police after wounding an officer.
The attack took place at the Rekindling of the Flame ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier a nightly ritual honoring the victims of the French War.
The Incident: 60 Seconds of Terror
Local @ 6:00 PM where gendarmes and police officers secured the ceremonial area, the suspect lunged at a gendarme on guard duty.
- Weaponry: The suspect was said to have had a knife and a pair of scissors.
- The Assault: A knife blow on one officer led to minor injury, and in addition a second officer opened fire and shot the suspect several times to try to cut off a threat.
- The Result: The suspect was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition but subsequently died of the injuries, according to the national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office (PNAT), the organization’s confirmation.
The suspect: Already known as a Terror convict
The attacker is identified as Brahim Bahrir, a 47-year-old French national.
- Previous Convictions: Bahrir had been sentenced to 17 years in prison by a Brussels court in 2013 for the attempted murder of three Belgian police officers in Molenbeek.
- Recent Release: He had been transferred to a French prison in 2015, and released only recently, on December 24, 2025.
- Prior Warning: Shockingly, it is reported that Bahrir had called a police station near his home early that day declaring his decision to "carry out a massacre," which already leads to a local manhunt.
Official Response
French interior minister Laurent Nuñez commended the officers for their "coolness and determination where the threat of terrorists is concerned." President Emmanuel Macron also issued a statement that he praised the security forces for preventing a possibly larger tragedy at one of France’s most iconic landmarks. The PNAT has launched an investigation into "attempted murder of a person holding public authority in connection with a terrorist enterprise."
