Trial of the November 13 attacks: return to the formation of the terrorist commando

Behind the attacks of November 13, 2015, there was a commando from Syria, made up of around twenty selected, indoctrinated and trained jihadists. Some are dead, but others are currently on trial before the special assize court in Paris. Three years before the attacks, anti-terrorism judge Marc Trevidic questioned one of the future Bataclan attackers in his office. But at the time, he had no contact with any terrorist group.

With the rise of the Islamic State terrorist group, the would-be attackers left for Syria, finding themselves among 15,000 foreign jihadists. They were recruited by a leader of the Islamic State’s external operations, in charge of the attacks in Europe. The ruler had them choose because their Belgian or French nationality allowed them to pass unnoticed in Paris. In September 2015, the future attackers participated in a final test: they had to execute a prisoner in front of a camera.