Woolwich link probed after attack on French soldier

Police investigators and forensic experts work at the site. Picture: Getty

French anti-terrorism investigators are hunting for the individual who attacked Private First Class Cedric Cordier on Saturday. The 23-year-old was in uniform when he was stabbed in the throat in the busy La Defense shopping area near the French capital.

He remains in hospital but his injuries are not life-threatening, the interior ministry said. His attacker is on the run.

Scotland Yard again refused to comment yesterday on whether it was looking into any links between the incident in France and the murder of Drummer Rigby.

However, French interior minister, Manuel Valls, has said there could be comparisons between the two attacks.

He told France 2 television: “There are elements – the sudden violence of the attack – that could lead one to believe there might be a comparison with what happened in London. But at this point, let us be prudent.”

Pte Cordier was on a group patrol as part of a national protection programme when he was attacked from behind.

France’s defence minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, who visited the injured solider in hospital, confirmed that he had been targeted because he was a soldier. Speaking shortly after the attack while on an official visit to Ethiopia, French president François Hollande said that while “all

hypotheses” will be investigated, there did not appear to be a link with the murder in London.

French security forces have been on heightened alert since their country launched a military intervention in the African nation of Mali in January to

take territory controlled by Islamic radicals.