French Police arrest synagogue blast suspect
Paris: French police said that they have arrested a man suspected of setting fires and causing an explosion outside a synagogue in a southern resort here.
Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said “the alleged perpetrator” was detained on Saturday, BBC reported.
He added that the police had shown “great professionalism”.
French media reported that the suspect was shot and injured by police after he opened fire on the officers who came to arrest him in the city of Nimes.
Earlier on Saturday, a police officer was injured in the blast outside the Beth Yaacov synagogue in the nearby seaside resort of La Grande-Motte.
The police officer’s injuries are not said to be life-threatening, following the blast between 8 and 8:30 local time on Saturday.
Five people, including the rabbi, were inside the synagogue at the time, authorities said.
The explosion was caused by two cars which were set alight outside, BBC reported.
Police sources told French media that one of the vehicles contained a hidden gas canister.
The suspect — who was reportedly carrying a Palestinian flag — also set fire to several entrance doors of the synagogue.
Jewish community leader Yonathan Arfi said the incident was “an attempt to kill Jews” and seemed to have been timed to target Saturday morning worshippers.
President Emmanuel Macron said the incident was “a terrorist act”.
One eyewitness, who asked to remain anonymous, told the BBC: “Just as we were coming round the last corner, there was a huge explosion – a fireball into the air.”
“It was surreal, like a film. We didn’t go any further.”
Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and Darmanin visited the site on Saturday evening. Both had earlier condemned the attack, with Attal calling it “an anti-Semitic act”.
“What happened here shocks and scandalises all Republicans in our country,” Attal said during the visit.
“Because the reality is that once again, French Jews have been targeted, attacked because of their beliefs.”
The Prime Minister said an “absolute tragedy” had been “narrowly avoided” as “there would have been victims” if the synagogue had been full of worshippers.
Attal and Darmanin said security would be strengthened outside synagogues.
“I want to assure our Jewish fellow citizens and the municipality of my full support,” Darmanin said earlier on Saturday.