Paris (CNN) -- A French soldier who was stabbed Saturday on the western outskirts of Paris was targeted because of his military service, France's defense minister said.

CNN: French soldier stabbed while on patrol

He had a huge appetite for life and I think what he gives to us in his music is what he terms, he called himself a foot solider in the service of music, and I think of him in that sense it would be the foot soldier reporting on the triumphs and tragedies of the world.

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