French police thwarted a suspected bombing attempt outside a US bank in Paris early this morning after detaining a man who was about to detonate a homemade explosive device, sources familiar with the case told reporters.
The incident took place at 3:30 am local time (1.30am Irish time) outside a Bank of America building in the upscale 8th arrondissement, just a short distance from the Champs-Elysees, reports RTE.
Officers apprehended the suspect shortly after he placed the device, which reportedly contained five litres of liquid believed to be fuel along with an ignition mechanism, one source said.
Following his arrest, the individual stated that he was both a minor and a citizen of Senegal, according to a police source, who noted that authorities were still working to confirm his identity, reports RTE.
He was accompanied by another person, who fled the scene when police moved in to arrest them.
The ignition element reportedly contained 650 grams of explosive powder, based on an initial evaluation, and the entire device was transferred to the Paris police forensic laboratory for detailed examination, reports RTE.
France’s counter-terrorism prosecutors told AFP they had promptly taken charge of the investigation and confirmed the suspect was being held in custody.
The office stated that the inquiry concerns “attempted damage by fire or other dangerous means in connection with a terrorist undertaking” and a “terrorist criminal conspiracy”, reports RTE.
Both the Paris judicial police and France’s domestic intelligence agency, the General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI), are involved in the case, the prosecutors added.
According to a police source, the suspect claimed he had been recruited through the Snapchat app to carry out the attack in return for €600, reports RTE.
When officers arrested him, he was reportedly just moments away from lighting the device using a lighter.
Another police source told AFP that while the suspect was positioning the device, his accomplice stepped back, seemingly to record or photograph the act on a mobile phone, reports RTE.
A spokesperson for Bank of America, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, told AFP that the company was aware of the incident and was in contact with French authorities.
France’s Interior Minister, Laurent Nunez, praised the swift response of police on X, highlighting their actions in light of “the current international situation”, reports RTE.
Speaking later to BFMTV, he suggested the ongoing conflict in the Middle East could have been a motivating factor behind the attempted attack.
“I make a link between the actions carried out in neighbouring countries” and claimed by “small groups that referred to the conflict,” he said, reports RTE.
Earlier this month, officials in the Netherlands said they suspected four youths arrested over an explosion outside a synagogue in Rotterdam may have been recruited by Iran.
In the UK, a relatively unknown group aligned with Iran claimed responsibility for an arson attack in London last week that targeted four volunteer ambulances operated by a Jewish organisation, reports RTE.
Since the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, European nations have remained on heightened alert over possible attacks targeting Iranian dissidents, Jewish religious sites, and US-Israeli interests.
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