Lourve reopens in Paris following '˜terrorist incident'

A French soldier patrols in the courtyard of the Louvre museum with the visitor control in background in Paris. Picture; AP

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In drizzly weather, tourists filed by armed police and soldiers outside the central Paris museum, which had been closed immediately after Friday’s attack.

The attacker was shot four times after injuring a soldier patrolling a shopping area beneath the museum.

he Louvre in Paris reopened to the public. Picture; AP

An Egyptian interior ministry official confirmed the identity of the attacker as Egyptian-born Abdullah Reda Refaie al-Hamahmy, 28.

The official said the initial investigation found no record of political activism, criminal activity or membership of any militant groups at home.

Tweets about a trip from Dubai to Paris were sent from the Twitter profile of an Abdallah El-Hamahmy on January 26. In the profile photo, the man is seen smiling and leaning against a wall in a blue and white sports jacket.

In another tweet, the user went on a tirade, posting: “No negotiation, no compromise, no letting up, certainly no climb down, relentless war.”

The assailant remains in a grave condition in hospital, according to French authorities who have yet to confirm the identification.

Louvre visitors expressed mixed feelings on Saturday over the incident, with some tourists planning to leave Paris earlier than planned.

“We heard on the news that a terrorist attack took place... We stayed at the hotel and we’re thinking about cutting our vacation in Paris short,” said Lucia Reveron from Argentina.

Others were stoic and felt safe because of the heightened security presence.

“I went around yesterday, in the evening, and security was everywhere. Even now when we arrived (at the Louvre) we were checked and it’s secure. I don’t feel any threats,” said Kurt Vellafonde from Malta.

With the spate of attacks on the country in the last couple of years many permanent residents have become resilient.

“There have been very good security measures taken, and it does not scare me at all,” said Regine Dechivre.

“It’s the phenomena of a person a little bit disturbed. The investigation will tell us what exactly happened,” she added.

The United Arab Emirates condemned the attack after a French official said Friday night that the attacker was believed to have been living in the UAE.

UAE officials offered no comment on Saturday about his possible connection to the country.

The country, which includes the Middle East commercial hub of Dubai, is a major destination for guest workers from Egypt and numerous other countries.

“The UAE, while strongly condemning this hideous crime, affirms its full solidarity with the friendly French Republic in these circumstances and its support for whatever measures France may take to preserve its security and safety of its citizens and residents,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said in a statement.

The ministry called for an intensification of international efforts to fight extremism and terrorism, and praised French soldiers for their response to the attack.

“This terrorist attack on the Louvre Museum, the centre for human civilisation and heritage, exposed the darkness of terrorism and its ceaseless attempts to destroy the human heritage,” it said.

France is working with the Emirates to build a branch of the Louvre in the federal capital, Abu Dhabi. The project has been repeatedly delayed and is now expected to open later this year.

The two countries have built increasingly strong bilateral ties in recent years.

France opened a military base in Abu Dhabi in 2009 that includes facilities for air, naval and ground forces. French Rafale fighter jets based in the Emirates have taken part in the US-led campaign against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.

French President Francois Hollande last paid a visit to Abu Dhabi in December.