A Spanish official has claimed the man suspected of attacking passengers on a French train, narrowly averted only by the actions of two off-duty soldiers, had previously travelled to Syria.
The official, speaking under condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press that the suspected attacker had lived in Spain until 2014 before moving to France.
He then travelled to Syria before returning to France, the official - linked to Spain's anti-teorrism unit - claimed.
Authorities had indicated that the suspected attacker had been under security surveillance before, but it has remained unclear if he was still under surveillance at the time of the attack.
It comes as French interior minister reportedly claimed the attacker, believed to be a 26-year-old man of Moroccan origin, is a suspected "radical Islamist," according to AFP.
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The attack, on a train bound for the French town of Thalys at around 4pm on Friday, was prevented by two off-duty US soldiers.
Mixed reports indicate that passengers on the train heard either a gunshot or breaking glass, before a gunman – reportedly armed with an automatic (AK-47) rifle and an automatic handgun – burst into a carriage.
Alek Skarlatos (left) and Spencer Stone (right) tackled the gunman and subdued him on the train
He was prevented from firing after two off-duty US soldiers, Alek Skarlatos and fellow serviceman Spencer Stone, tackled him to the ground and confiscated his weapons.
Both men, aided by a British citizen and a third American, have been commended for their swift actions.
