French teacher admits to fabricating knife attack story

The 45-year-old teacher admitted to authorities on Monday that he made up a story in which he claimed to have been stabbed by a masked assailant inspired by the self-styled "Islamic State" (IS) terrorist group.

"He is being interviewed with a view to establishing the reasons for this invented story," news agency Reuters reported, citing a legal source.

Earlier the same day, reports surfaced that a teacher in Aubervilliers, northeast of Paris, was attacked by someone wielding a box cutter and a pair of scissors as he was preparing for class. The teacher was hospitalized with light stab wounds shortly afterward, as police launched a manhunt to find the alleged attacker.

Fear in France on the rise

The accusation came nearly a month after a series of coordinated terrorist attacks in Paris claimed by IS. France has been on high alert since that day, as authorities continue to investigate suspects with potential links to the massacre.

According to AFP news agency, a French-language magazine published by IS called on its followers last month to kill French teachers, whom they referred to as "enemies of Allah."

The man's accusations also came a day after Marine Le Pen's far-right National Front party lost in second-round elections. A large portion of Le Pen's base was made up of voters opposed to immigrants from the Middle East.

blc/msh (AP, AFP)