French motorist rams car into crowd for ‘the children of Palestine’

Marcy Oster

(JTA) — A French motorist reportedly shouted “This is in the name of the children of Palestine” as he slammed his car into crowds in eastern France.

At least 11 people were injured, two critically, in the incident Sunday in the city of Dijon, the French news agency AFP reported.

The news agency cited a source close to the investigation into the attack as saying the man is mentally imbalanced and spent time in a psychiatric hospital.

The man also shouted “Allahu Akbar,” Arabic for God is great, as he drove into the crowd in different locations in the city, according to AFP.

There may have been two other people in the car at the time of the attack, and police are searching for them, the news agency reported.

The attack is similar to several attacks that by Palestinians in the West Bank and Jerusalem in November.

The incident on Sunday came a day after a Muslim attacker shouted “Allahu Akbar” as he stabbed three police officers at a police station in central France.