Paris cleaver attack suspect says acted over Charlie Hebdo cartoons, sources say

A man suspected of wounding two people with a meat cleaver near the former offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris has admitted staging the attack, linking it to the republication of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed by the satirical weekly.

The man, who said he was born in Pakistan and is 18, "takes responsibility for his action which he places in the context of the republication of cartoons" of the Prophet Mohammed in Charlie Hebdo, according to AFP.

The stabbing came three weeks into the trial of suspected accomplices in the 2015 massacre of Charlie Hebdo’s staff, which was claimed by a branch of al Qaeda.

The man said during questioning he places his actions “in the context of the republication of cartoons” of the Prophet Mohammed in Charlie Hebdo, the source said.

Earlier in the day, it was reported that the primary suspect was not on police radar despite a recent arrest for carrying a weapon.

The suspected assailant was arrested in June, but had not been previously flagged for possible religious radicalisation, according to the interior ministry.

Two people were wounded in the attack outside Charlie Hebdo’s former offices, in Paris’s eastern 11th arrondissement (district). The suspect was arrested by police not far from the scene.

The Premieres Lignes news production agency said the wounded were its employees – a man and a woman taking a cigarette break outside. The company specialises in investigative reports and produces the prize-winning Cash Investigation programme.

In a Twitter post, Charlie Hebdo expressed its support for "the people affected by this odious attack".

They were victims of "fanaticism" and "intolerance", Charlie Hebdo said, calling the main suspect and his possible accomplice "terrorists".

(with inputs from agencies)