Moroccan entered French train with Kalashnikov and shot at passengers

Two Americans and a Briton received decorations after they managed to neutralize and subdue a heavily armed attacker on a train in northern France, the BBC reports, as reported by the news agency Patria.

The incident occurred on a high-speed train near Arras, when a 26-year-old Moroccan, armed with a Kalashnikov, a knife, and a pistol, began shooting at the train.

The armed man injured three people in the attack, which took place on Friday on the Thalys high-speed train between Amsterdam and Paris - French actor Jean-Hugues Anglade, one Briton, and one American marine, after which he was subdued by passengers, including the wounded marine, Reuters reported.

The Moroccan is reportedly already known to French intelligence services.

According to French Foreign Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, the attack occurred yesterday at 5:45 PM.

US President Barack Obama congratulated the passengers who subdued the armed attacker on the French train, including US soldiers, for their "courage and quick thinking."

"The President expressed great gratitude for the courage and quick thinking of several passengers, including members of the US military, who selflessly stopped the attacker. It is clear that their heroic action prevented a much greater tragedy," the White House said in an official statement.

A spokesperson for the French National Railway Company said the attacker possessed cold and firearms with which he seriously wounded two people and lightly wounded one, AFP reported, Index writes.