Suspect remains at large after fatal Islamophobic mosque stabbing in France

French PM condemns fatal stabbing at mosque as Islamophobic attack

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The suspect behind a fatal stabbing at a mosque in La Grand-Combe, southern France, remains at large, authorities confirmed.

Ales public prosecutor Abdelkrim Grini said a 23 or 24-year-old worshipper, identified as Aboubakar, was killed during Friday’s attack.

The National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office is monitoring the case but has not formally assumed control.

Local media reported that the suspect filmed himself after the stabbing, making derogatory remarks about "Allah" and the victim, who lay wounded on the ground. Witnesses told local outlets that the attacker used a mobile phone to record the scene after repeatedly stabbing the victim.

Investigators are examining whether the attack was motivated by Islamophobia, according to reports from Franceinfo and Le Parisien.

Grini said the victim was a regular attendee at the mosque in Trescol, a hamlet within La Grand-Combe, while the assailant had no known ties to the community. Security camera footage captured images of the suspect, who remains unidentified by mosque-goers and residents.

Community members in La Grand-Combe have launched efforts to raise funds to repatriate Aboubakar’s body to his family in Mali.

French Prime Minister François Bayrou condemned the fatal stabbing, calling it an “Islamophobic atrocity,” as police continued their search for the suspect.

Grini confirmed that investigators are treating the killing as a potential hate crime. The French anti-terror prosecutor’s office is monitoring the investigation but has not formally taken over.

Authorities said the attacker, who had not been seen before at the mosque, initially prayed alongside the victim before launching the assault. Surveillance footage showed the attacker noticing the mosque’s security cameras and acknowledging he would likely be arrested.

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau described the killing as “appalling” and expressed solidarity with the Muslim community affected by the attack.

"The individual is being actively sought. This is a matter that is being taken very seriously," said the prosecutor Grini.

"All possibilities were being considered, including that of an act with an Islamophobic dimension," he added.