A French police officer takes cover while on the lookout for the shooters who attacked the restaurant 'Le Petit Cambodge' in Paris. Photo / AP
A French police officer takes cover while on the lookout for the shooters who attacked the restaurant 'Le Petit Cambodge' in Paris. Photo / AP
France is no stranger to terror-related attacks. Below is a recent history of terrorism in France.
August 21, 2015 - Thalys train attack
A heavily armed man stormed a carriage on a high-speed train travelling from Amsterdam to Paris, via Brussels, just before 6pm local time on Friday, August 21.
The train was passing through Oignies, Pas-de-Calais, France (less than an hour from the French capital) when the man entered the carriage carrying an AK-47 rifle, among other weapons.
His attack was thwarted by passengers and no one was killed, but three people were left injured after the attacker let off shots and used a blade to stab at those that were trying to restrain him.
June 26, 2015 - Beheading in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier factory
On the morning of Friday June 26, a man killed and decapitated his boss and drove a van into gas cylinders at a US-owned factory in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier near Lyon, causing an explosion that injured two people.
The victim's head was placed with flags bearing Arabic text on the fence of the factory.
April 19, 2015 - Police foil 'imminent' attack in Paris
A university student was arrested by police in Villejuif, Paris after he shot himself by accident and called an ambulance.
When police arrived at the scene, a trail of blood led them to the man's car where they found a supply of weapons and notes on potential targets.
Investigators believed he was planning attacks on one or two churches in the Paris suburbs.
He was charged with terror offences and the murder of a woman found in a burning car.
February 3, 2015 - Soldiers attacked in Nice
A man attacked and injured three French soldiers that were on an anti-terror patrol outside a Jewish community centre in Nice.
January 7-9, 2015 - Charlie Hebdo attack and the immediate aftermath
Je Suis Charlie became the catch-cry of protesters following the Charlie Hebdo attacks. Photo / Getty
At 11:30am local time on Wednesday January 7, French satirical weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris was attacked following its decision to publish cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad.
In total, 12 people were killed - eight journalists, two police officers, a caretaker and a visitor.
The next morning, as police continued to hunt for the suspects, a lone gunman shot two people in the southern Paris suburb of Montrouge, killing one of them - a policewoman.
After initially dismissing any link to the Charlie Hebdo attack, French authorities later confirmed the two incidents were connected.
The day after, on the Friday, a Jewish grocery store in Paris was stormed by a gunman. Four people were killed in the attack, while several others were held hostage inside.
December 20, 2014 - Man attacks police officers and shouts 'God is great!'
A man was shot dead by police in Josue-les-Tours after attacking three police officers with a knife, shouting "God is great!" in Arabic.
May 23, 2013 - French soldier stabbed in the neck
A French soldier was attacked and stabbed in the neck while on duty in La Defense, Paris. It was treated as a terrorist attack.
March 11-22, 2012 - Three soldiers, three children and a teacher killed
From 11-22 March in Toulouse and Montauban, a gunman killed seven people in attacks targeting French soldiers and Jewish citizens. He killed three soldiers on March 11 and 15, before shooting three children and a teacher at a Jewish school on March 19.
He was eventually killed during a police siege in Toulouse on March 22.
