France declares 3-days of national mourning

People offer flowers to the victims near the site of the terrorist attack in Nice, France, July 15, 2016. The death toll rises to 84 from an attack in which a truck rammed into a crowd marking the French national day in Nice. French President Francois Hollandesaid "the terrorist character" of the truck attack cannot be denied. He announced an extension of a state of emergency for three months in the country. (Xinhua/Xu Jinquan)

PARIS, July 15 -- In the wake of the deadly Nice attack on Thursday, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls on Friday morning declared three days of national morning, to begin on July 16.

"We are facing a war that terrorism is inflicting on us," Valls said after a meeting in the Elysee Palace, adding "the only response is that of a united France."

French flags will be flown at half mast on all public buildings in the country, Valls added.

The death toll continues to rise from an attack in which a truck drove through a crowd, ramming into people celebrating the French national day in Nice, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said on Friday.

At least 84 people have been killed and 18 remain in "critical condition," said the minister. French President Francois Hollandesaid the death toll included "several children."

According to local media, at least 50 children have been hospitalized.

Hollande announced he would extend the current state of emergency in the country for another three months, despite saying Thursday it would not be extended past July 26.

A state of emergency was instated eight months ago the day after Islamic State gunmen and suicide bombers killed 130 people in Paris.

The draft bill will be presented next Tuesday to the Cabinet, followed by the National Assembly on Wednesday and Thursday.

Hollande confirmed the attack on Friday morning had been of a "terrorist" nature.

"France is under the threat of Islamic terrorism... Nothing will make us surrender our will to fight against terrorism and we will further strengthen our actions in Syriaand Iraq. We will continue to strike those who attack us on our own soil," Hollande stressed.

But for Gilles Kepel, an academic expert on the Islamic and Arab world, France fails to understand the form of third generation terrorism whose method of carrying out attacks is becoming more and more simple.

The French political class is "useless" when it comes to facing this kind of terrorism, he told France Inter radio Friday morning.

Anti-terror investigations have begun. Identity papers of a 31-year-old Franco-Tunisian male, in addition to weapons and grenades, were found in the truck he had been driving, according to reports. The truck driver was shot dead after opening fire at police.

He was known to police for acts of violence with weapons.

The tragedy took place at the city's famous Promenade des Anglais seafront. The truck ploughed at high speed into spectators watching the fireworks.

Christian Estrosi, president of the region of Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, described the incident on Twitter as "the worst drama in Nice's history."

Traffic is closed on the Promenade des Anglais, and scheduled cultural events, including a jazz festival, have been canceled.