- Suspected perpetrator of bomb blast near a synagogue in southern France's region
After a blast outside a synagogue in La Grande-Motte, a southern French town, authorities have taken charge of the investigation, as reported by the German Press Agency in Paris. The current Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, announced that they're still working on locating the culprit.
In the early hours, two vehicles situated near the synagogue, near Montpellier, burst into flames. An explosion in one of the cars, caused by a gas cylinder, resulted in an injury to a law enforcement officer. Luckily, no one inside the synagogue was harmed.
Two entries to the synagogue were also engulfed in flames, but it's uncertain if this happened before or after the explosion.
The French interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, promptly ordered a reinforcement of security personnel outside Jewish sites of worship. Darmanin later referred to the incident as a "suspected act of arson" and showed sympathy towards the Jewish community.
Prime Minister Attal also expressed his views on X, calling the incident a hate crime, saying, "Once again, our Jewish compatriots have been victimized."
Yonathan Arfi, president of the CRIF, the central body of Jewish organizations in France, claimed that the explosion occurred during the expected arrival of worshippers at the synagogue. He viewed it as more than an assault on a place of worship; instead, he saw it as an attempt on Jewish lives.
Prime Minister Attal and Interior Minister Darmanin are scheduled to inspect the site of the attack in the late afternoon.
The French interior minister, Gérald Darmanin, labeled the incident a "suspected act of arson," implying potential involvement in terrorism. Subsequently, investigators are closely scrutinizing individuals who might be "Suspected of terrorism" in relation to the attack.
