An Islamist attacker has pinned a decapitated head covered with Arabic writing into the gates of a gas factory in eastern France before being arrested, police said. French media said, after two assailants rammed a car into the premises. France has opened a terrorism investigation after the attack. “The intent was without doubt to cause an explosion. It was a terrorist attack,” said French President Francois Hollande in a statement. Local newspaper Le Dauphine said the head is covered in Arabic writing.

An attacker carrying an Islamist flag killed one person and injured several others at a gas factory in eastern France, according to a legal source. The suspected attacker has entered the factory and set off several small explosive devices, the source said. A man suspected to be the person who had carried out the attack has been arrested, according to sources close to the inquiry.

"According to the initial findings of the inquiry, one or several individuals on board a vehicle, drove into the factory. An explosion, then took place," said one of the sources. "The decapitated body of a person was found nearby the factory, but we do not yet know whether the body was transported to the place or not," added the source, "a flag with Arabic writing on it was found at the scene." Police said it is unclear whether the attacker is acting alone or have accomplices.
 
Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said he would go "immediately" to the scene. Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who is on an official trip to South America, ordered for increased security measures at all sensitive sites in the area.

The attack, occurred at round 10:00 am local time (0800 GMT), in the small town of Saint-Quentin-Fallavier, around 40 kilometres from Lyon, France’s second city, according to local media. This came after nearly six months after the Islamist attacks in and around Paris that killed 17 people in January that started with a shooting at satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

By Premji