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NICE ATTACK: What we know so far

President Hollande extended the country's state of emergency, after 84 killed in "terrorist attack."

Updated | At least 84 people have died after a truck drove through a crowd of people celebrating France’s national day in the southern city of Nice. The driver, who a police source said was of French-Tunisian heritage, plowed through the revelers for 1.2 miles before police shot and killed him.

The attack, which resulted in the deaths of several children, took place as a fireworks display was concluding the end of Bastille Day around 11pm local time, the BBC reported. It comes eight months aftera series of terrorist attacks on November 13 in Paris, which killed 130 people.

Addressing the nation after the assault, French President François Hollande said that the assault was of “an undeniable terrorist nature.” Hollande has decided to extend the country’s state of emergency, in place since the November attacks by another three months. “All of France is under the threat of Islamic terrorism,” Hollande said.

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A police source, who spoke to Reuters, said that the attacker, whose name has not yet been released, was 31 years old and known to them as a low-level criminal. He was driving an unmarked articulated truck, which contained a stash of guns and grenades. Eyewitnesses reported that he zigzagged the vehicle along the seafront promenade.

French police forces and forensic officers stand next to a truck that an attacker drove into a crowd killing at least 84 people in Nice, France, July 14.ERIC GAILLARD/REUTERS
French police forces and forensic officers stand next to a truck that an attacker drove into a crowd killing at least 84 people in Nice, France, July 14.ERIC GAILLARD/REUTERS

No organization has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, though officials are investigating whether the driver had accomplices. The counter-terrorism organization SITE Intelligence Group tweeted that channels supportive of militant group State (ISIS) on the encrypted messaging app Telegram were celebrating the assault.

Eighteen people are in critical condition following the attack, while hundreds more are injured. Videos posted to social media showed people running through the streets away from the carnage on the Promenade des Anglais. Photos showed bodies lying in the streets while eyewitnesses said that they thought shots were fired between the police and the driver.

Hollande has said that operational reserves will be mobilized to support security forces across France with particular focus on the borders. After the Paris attacks, it became clear that several of the gunmen had links to neighboring Brussels. The president added that France would continue its air operations against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.

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