The Financial Times describes this attack , the 21 December 2014 Dijon attack , and the 20 December 2014 Tours police station stabbing as " the first ISIS-linked attacks " in France . According to '' The Globe and Mail '' , the attack was " apparently inspired by a video " circulated by ISIL calling on French Muslims to attack non-Muslims using vehicles . According to David C. Rapoport of the University of California , Los Angeles , these three attacks can be understood in the context of the rise of the Islamic State in Syria . " In September 2014 , after the U.S. organized its airstrikes , the Islamic State ’s chief spokesman called on Muslims in Western countries to find an infidel and ‘ smash his head with a rock ’ , poison him , run him over with a car or ‘ destroy his crops ’ . Two months later a video released in French contained virtually the same message , and a series of strange ' lone wolf ' attacks followed on three consecutive days , the perpetrators declaring “ ' God is Great ' in Arabic . Three policemen were stabbed in Joué-lès-Tours , and vehicles were used to run over eleven pedestrians in Dijon and ten in Nantes . " Interior Ministry spokesman Pierre-Henry Brandet announced an investigation into the Nantes attack , saying " I would n't say it was a terrorist attack . I would call it a deliberate act "
2014 Dijon attack
2014 Dijon attack
2014 Nantes attack