France: French beheading suspect denies jihad motivation

Written by Linda Digby 17 Jul 2015
France: French beheading suspect denies jihad motivation

The man being held in France under suspicion of beheading his boss and trying to blow up a chemicals plant has told investigators there was no religious motivation behind the attack, according to a source close to the inquiry. Yassin Salhi told investigators he was not a jihadist and repeated earlier statements that he committed the act outside the southeast city of Lyon on Friday after a row with his wife the day before and his boss a few days earlier. Examination of one of Salhi's phones revealed he had taken a picture of himself with the severed head before his arrest and sent the image to a number belonging to a French national last traced to the Islamic State stronghold of Raqqa in Syria. Friday's attack stirred new security fears in France. Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the threat facing France, a member of the international coalition fighting Islamic State in Iraq, has never been greater.

Additional Info