A French man drove his car into pedestrians and cyclists on Oleron Island, located off France’s Atlantic coast, on Wednesday (Nov 5), injuring five people and shouting “Allahu Akbar” as he was taken into custody, authorities said. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez and other officials stated that the motive behind the attack remains unclear, noting that the suspect was not listed among individuals monitored for radicalization.

According to Nunez, the incident began around 8:40 a.m. (3:40 p.m. Singapore time) when the driver deliberately struck several people—both cyclists and pedestrians—along his route. The rampage lasted about 35 minutes and left five injured. Officials confirmed that the man’s car hit victims in multiple areas across the island. Nunez added that while the suspect did shout “Allahu Akbar” (Arabic for “God is Greatest”) during his arrest, investigators are considering all possible motives.

The suspect, a 35-year-old local fisherman, was identified by Dolus-d’Oleron Mayor Thibault Brechkoff. Two of the victims sustained serious injuries, one of them an aide to a far-right National Rally lawmaker. Authorities later revised the initial number of victims from nine to five. For now, the case is being handled by local prosecutors in La Rochelle, and not by France’s national anti-terrorism office. Local lawmaker Olivier Falorni told reporters in Paris that the attack’s nature remains uncertain: “We don’t know if it was a personal dispute, an Islamist act, a political motive, or simply a case of mental instability.”

Investigators are also examining whether the suspect may have mental health issues. According to officials, he has a record of petty crimes, including drunk driving and drug-related offences, but was not known to security services. Junior minister Marie-Pierre Vedrenne confirmed that the suspect, a French national residing on Oleron Island, was previously involved only in minor legal infractions.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.