French policemen of the RAID elite assault unit, during an exercise in Vaires-sur-Marnes, France, on May 30 2024. THOMAS SAMSON / AFP
Ten years after the November 13, 2015 attacks in Paris and Saint-Denis, a suburb just north of the city, the terrorist threat in France remains high, although it has completely changed in nature. France continues to be a prime target for Sunni jihadism, but the threat is less driven by organizations such as the Islamic State group (IS) or Al-Qaeda – whose central leadership has been severely weakened by military action – than by individuals inspired by them.
France has now entered the era of inspired terrorism, fueled by the wealth of propaganda still circulating online and in Telegram channels. These "self-starters" are terrorists based in France. They are young, often very young, and frequently socially isolated. Some struggle with mental health issues.
They act with basic means: Three-quarters of the attacks carried out in France since 2020 involved bladed weapons. According to data compiled by intelligence services, two-thirds of the attackers since 2020 were "unknown to specialized documentation." In other words, they had never been identified as potential threats. They acted autonomously, choosing their own targets without waiting for orders.
