The main suspect in the jihadist rampage that killed 130 people across Paris, on November 13th 2015, described himself defiantly as „an Islamic State soldier” on Wednesday, upsetting some survivors who took it as a threat at the start of the trial into the 2015 attacks.
Salah Abdeslam, 31, appeared in court dressed in black and wearing a black face mask, according to CNN.
He is one of the 20 men accused of involvement in the gun-and-bomb attacks on six restaurants and bars, the Bataclan concert hall and a sports stadium on Nov. 13, 2015.
Asked his profession, the French-Moroccan removed his face mask and told a Paris court: „I gave up my job to become an Islamic State soldier.”
He is believed to be the only surviving member of the group that carried out the attacks. The other suspects are accused of helping to provide guns and cars or organize the attacks, which also injured hundreds and scarred the nation’s psyche.
Responsibility for the attacks was claimed by Islamic State, which had urged followers to attack France over its involvement in the fight against the militant group in Iraq and Syria.