Bastille Day Attack, Nice (2016)
The Bastille Day attack in Nice on July 14, 2016, was a devastating terrorist incident where a lone assailant, Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, drove a cargo truck into a crowded promenade during a national celebration, resulting in the deaths of eighty-six people, including children and many foreign tourists. The attack occurred shortly after a fireworks display, targeting innocent bystanders and leaving hundreds injured. Although the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) claimed inspiration for the attack, investigations revealed that Bouhlel had no direct ties to the organization. In the aftermath, French authorities apprehended several individuals believed to have assisted Bouhlel, charging them with various offenses related to the attack. A trial for eight alleged accomplices began in September 2022, culminating in their conviction in December, with sentences ranging from two to eighteen years. The incident highlighted ongoing concerns regarding terrorism in France, as it followed previous attacks and led to heightened security measures and military responses against extremist groups. This tragic event reflects the broader context of challenges faced by societies in addressing the threat of terrorism while fostering community resilience and safety.
Bastille Day Attack, Nice (2016)
Date: July 14, 2016
Place: Nice, France
Summary
The 2016 Bastille Day attack was a terrorist attack that occurred in the French city of Nice on July 14 of that year during the annual Bastille Day celebration. Using a cargo truck, the sole attacker drove into a crowd of pedestrians in a busy section of the city before being shot and killed by police. The terrorist organization Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) claimed to have inspired the attack, which killed eighty-six innocent bystanders in addition to the perpetrator. In the months after the attack, the French government gradually uncovered what they alleged was a wider conspiracy; while they determined the Nice attacker did not have any connection to the wider ISIS organization, French authorities eventually charged eight individuals with crimes related to aiding and abetting the attack. Their trial began in September 2022 at a courtroom in Paris and concluded in December with the conviction of all eight conspirators.
Key Events
- November 13, 2015—France suffers a series of terrorist attacks in Paris and several Parisian suburbs; ISIS claims responsibility.
- July 14, 2016—A lone terrorist drives a cargo truck through the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, where a Bastille Day celebration is underway. The attacker is killed in an exchange of fire with police.
- July 15, 2016—French press identifies the attacker as Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel.
- July 16, 2016—French police apprehend five suspects in connection with the attack.
- July 17, 2016—French police arrest an Albanian couple charged with helping the suspect obtain an illegal weapon.
- September 20, 2016—French police detain eight additional suspects in connection with the Nice attack. Eventually, these individuals face a range of charges, including
- September 2022—The trial of Bouhlel's eight alleged accomplices begins in Paris; the suspects face charges ranging from weapons trafficking and criminal conspiracy to terrorism-related offenses.
- December 2022—All eight suspects are convicted of charges related to the 2016 Nice attack and given prison sentences ranging from two to eighteen years.
Status
French police initially did not find any link connecting the perpetrator of the crime, Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, with any known terrorist organization, despite press releases from ISIS claiming that a soldier of their organization had carried out the attack in retaliation for French military operations targeting ISIS. On September 20, French police announced that they had detained eight individuals located around Nice who were connected either to Bouhlel or other suspects involved in the case. After a trial which began in September 2022, all eight suspects were convicted in December on charges related to the attack.
In-Depth Overview
Similar to other European nations, France has felt the threat of terrorist violence from extremist groups in the Middle East and Africa since the early 2000s, but the country had not really experienced a large-scale terrorist attack until the shootings at the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in early 2015. At the same time, authorities expressed concern over the possibility of disenfranchised Muslims in run-down French suburbs being vulnerable to recruitment by extremist groups such as ISIS. In November 2015 France suffered a series of coordinated terror attacks, concentrated in Paris and perpetrated by individuals connected to ISIS, resulting in more than 300 injuries and 130 deaths. As a result, the French military intensified attacks on ISIS targets abroad while French president François Hollande declared a nationwide state of emergency, with increased public security and police presence, that was set to last until June 2016.
On July 14, at approximately 10:30 p.m., following a fireworks display to celebrate Bastille Day, Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel, a Tunisian-born French resident of Nice, drove a nineteen-ton rented Renault Midlum cargo truck onto the Promenade des Anglais, a public walk bordering the French Riviera, where more than thirty thousand had gathered to celebrate the holiday. According to police reports, Bouhlel drove the truck onto the promenade at over 50 miles per hour, purposefully swerving onto the sidewalk in an effort to kill pedestrians. Amateur film of the incident showed that a motorcyclist attempted to board the truck to stop the assailant, but fell from the truck and was run over as Bouhlel continued his attack. Eyewitnesses also saw a police woman and several other pedestrians trying to board the vehicle to stop the attacker. Police exchanged fire with Bouhlel and were able to stop the truck by 10:35 p.m., killing him in the process. According to press reports, eighty-six people died in the attack, at least a third of whom were Muslim and more than half of whom were foreign tourists visiting France for the holiday. Ten of the victims were children.
The following day, police identified the assailant in the press and details from the investigation indicated that Bouhlel had recently separated from his wife and mother of his three children. Police arrested his estranged wife, Harj Khalfallah, though she was later released. Further investigation revealed allegations that he had abused his wife and had been involved in numerous crimes, including petty theft and a few violent offenses. The investigation further showed that he may have suffered from psychological issues and that, several months prior to the attack, he had begun attending services in a mosque, grown out his beard, and begun to espouse sympathy for ISIS.
The day after the attack, French police arrested five individuals in Nice for questioning. The following day, police arrested an Albanian couple who were later reported to have helped Bouhlel obtain the firearm he used in the attack. Investigations also revealed that he had practiced the route he took in his attack several days prior to the incident, and photos emerged showing him parked in the area days prior to the attack.
President Hollande declared that the national state of emergency put in place after the November 13, 2015, terrorist attacks would be extended for an additional month or more and the government called twelve thousand police reservists to increase security around the nation. The five individuals arrested by police on July 16 were charged with terror offenses, while the Albanian couple arrested on July 17 were charged with weapons offenses. Hollande also announced that France would be stepping up its attacks against ISIS in Syria and Iraq and would send artillery to Iraq to aid in combating the organization; the artillery was sent at the beginning of September.
In September 2022, six years after their arrest, eight individuals arrested in connection with the 2016 Nice attack went on trial at a courtroom in Paris. Two men, Mohamed Ghraieb and Chokri Chafroud, were found to have known about Bouhlel's potential to commit a terrorist attack and in December 2022 were ultimately convicted on terrorism charges and given eighteen-year prison sentences. Other suspects were convicted on lesser charges, including weapons violations and criminal conspiracy, and sentenced to prison terms ranging from two to twelve years.
Key Figures
Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel: Tunisian-born French resident who committed the terrorist attack in Nice.
François Hollande: President of France at the time of the attack.
Harj Khalfallah: Estranged wife of attacker Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel.
Bibliography
Horobin, W. (2016, July 17). Two more detained in France attack probe. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://www.wsj.com/articles/two-more-detained-in-france-attack-probe-1468775193
Landauro, I. (2016, September 20). French police detain eight men linked to attack in Nice. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved from http://www.wsj.com/articles/french-police-make-new-arrests-in-connection-to-bastille-day-attack-1474382416
Nice attack: What we know about the Bastille Day killings. (2016, August 19). BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36801671
"Nice Attack Trial: Paris Court Convicts Eight Suspects." Le Monde, 13 Dec. 2022, www.lemonde.fr/en/police-and-justice/article/2022/12/13/nice-attack-trial-paris-court-convicts-eight-suspects‗6007675‗105.html. Accessed 23 Aug. 2023.
Nice lorry attack: Five suspected accomplices charged. (2016, July 17). BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36859312
Rubin, Alissa J., Blaise, L., Nossiter, A., & Breeden, A. (2016, July 15). France says truck attacker was Tunisia native with record of petty crime. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/16/world/europe/attack-nice-bastille-day.html
Rubin, Alissa J., Nossiter, A., & Mele, C. (2016, July 14). Scores die in Nice, France, as truck plows into Bastille Day crowd. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/15/world/europe/nice-france-truck-bastille-day.html