Two men have been arrested in connection with the Bastille Day attack in Nice in southern France, a spokeswoman for Paris’ Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s office told CNN.
Agnes Thibault Lecuivre said that the two had been arrested Monday and remain in custody.
“These two arrests have been made while investigators are still trying to figure out who gave logistic support to the attacker in Nice,” she said.
On July 14, Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel drove a 20-ton truck for more than a mile along Nice’s Promenade des Anglais during Bastille Day celebrations. The brutal attack killed 84 people in the Mediterranean city after hundreds had packed along the famous waterfront road to watch fireworks.
More than 200 people were injured as the truck careened down the busy street.
Long-term planning
Bouhlel had plotted the attack for months with “support and accomplices,” Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said last week.
One suspect allegedly sent Bouhlel a Facebook message saying, “Load the truck with tons of iron and cut the brakes. I’ll look brother.”
Investigators have been working to determine the planning and execution of the deadly attack, Molins said at a news conference last week.
“The investigation underway since the night of July 14 has progressed and not only confirmed the murderous premeditated nature of Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel’s act but also established that he benefited from support and accomplices,” he said at a news conference.
Analysis of cell phone and computer content — including a photo of last year’s Bastille Day fireworks event focused on the crowd — showed Bouhlel had been planning the assault since at least 2015.
French authorities had previously said six people were in custody in connection with the attacks, including the attacker’s ex-wife, who was later released.
While ISIS had claimed responsibility there is no indication of firm connections between the Tunisian-born Bouhlel and the terror network.
