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DIJON, France >> A driver deliberately slammed his car into passers-by around Dijon on Sunday night, raising concerns at a time when Islamic extremists are calling for attacks in France.
The rampage came a day after a knife attack on police in another French town that counterterrorism police are investigating. The government said the motive for Sunday’s attack was unclear.
The government stepped up security measures for police and other authorities.
In Sunday’s incident, police arrested the driver after he injured at least 11 people, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.
The Islamic State and other terrorist organizations have repeatedly called for attacks against France, notably because of the French military’s participation in U.S.-led airstrikes in Iraq. Some extremists have specifically suggested that anyone angry at the French government could use weapons easily at hand — such as cars or knives — to stage "lone wolf" attacks.
The Interior Ministry said the driver in Sunday’s car attack, a 40-year-old, was known to police for minor offenses in the 1990s.
Police union official Michel Bonnet said on BFM television that some witnesses apparently heard the driver say "Allahu akbar," or "God is great," and refer to the "children of Palestine."
