Harassment and arrests after fire and explosion at a synagogue in southwestern France

This article was originally published in English

Authorities have launched a terrorism investigation after an explosion outside a synagogue in southwestern France injured a police officer.

two cars were parked in the Beth Yaakov synagogue complex, in the coastal town of La Grande Motte, near Montpellier, set on fire shortly after 8:00 a.m. local time on Saturday, according to a statement from the National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office.

Firefighters found additional fire at two entrances to the synagogue. A police officer who arrived at the scene was injured Explosion of a propane gas tank in a vehicleAccording to the statement, five people, including the rabbi, who were present in the synagogue premises at the time of the attack, were safe.

Prosecutors were investigating the attack The assassination attempt is linked to a terrorist group and destroying property by dangerous means, according to the statement. Security forces also said that a search operation was underway to search for the suspect.

La Grande Motte Mayor Stéphane Rossignol said investigators were reviewing the city’s surveillance video and added: A lone suspect was seen at the scene of the attack,

,We don’t know if the person has left the city or if he is still there.“The person in question did not manage to enter the synagogue, although that was clearly his aim,” Rossignol said in an interview with France Info radio station.

Prosecutors said a male suspect was seen inside Surveillance video of a man fleeing the scene carrying a Palestinian flag and a gun. He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations amid an ongoing investigation.

President Emmanuel Macron called the attack a “terrorist act” and said “every effort is being made to find the culprit.”

,The fight against anti-Semitism is an ongoing battle” he said in a post on X.

Acting Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said the synagogue had been attacked in a “terrible and horrific” act of violence.

“Once more, French Jews have been attacked for their beliefsAttal made the announcement after meeting with local officials and synagogue staff.

A high-caliber operation: search and capture of the attacker

have been deployed At least 200 police officers And other security personnel will arrest the culprit, Atal said.

Earlier, the acting Interior Minister, Gérald Darmanin, Ordered to deploy police force to protect Jewish places of worship And what happened next was “clearly a criminal act.”

ordered the deployment of more police officers at Jewish places of worship across the country following a rise in anti-Semitism since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas last October.

Arrest of the suspect on Saturday to Sunday night

The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor’s Office (PNAT) has confirmed the arrest of the alleged perpetrator of the attack The incident occurred during an overnight operation in the city of Nimes on Saturday.

The suspect was almost traced 50 kilometers away from the place of attacksuggesting an escape attempt by the alleged offender. From then on, the arrest was not without tension The suspect opened fire on police officers who were coming to arrest him. In response to this aggression, law enforcement was forced to retaliate, resulting in the detainee being taken into custody “He had injuries on his face”As stated in an official statement by PNAT issued in the early hours of Sunday.

However, the full identity of the person detained has not been officially revealed. Local sources have reported that he is a 33-year-old man of Algerian nationality.,

Police action was not limited to the arrest of the main suspect. In an effort to uncover the support network that may have facilitated both the attack and the subsequent escape, Authorities have arrested two other people from the suspect’s group,