Prosecutor: Attacker in Nice had been planning for months with at least five accomplices

PARIS (Reuters) - The Bastille Day attacker who killed at least 84 people in the French Riviera city of Nice had been planning the attack for months with the help of at least five accomplices, the Paris prosecutor said on Thursday.

"The investigation underway since the night of July 14 has progressed and not only confirmed the murderous premeditated nature of Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel's act but also established that he benefited from support and complicity," Francois Molins said at a news conference.

Molins said the five suspects were taken into custody and are facing preliminary terrorism charges, according to The Guardian.

Molins added that information from Bouhlel's phone, including searches and photos, indicated that he had been planning the attack since November 2015.