French police arrest two more suspects in a foiled bomb plot against a US bank in Paris, with the interior minister citing potential links to Middle East tensions.
PARIS: French authorities have made two further arrests in connection with an attempted bombing outside a Bank of America branch in Paris.
The arrests on Saturday night follow the initial detention of a suspect, who claimed to be a minor from Senegal, in the early hours of that day. Interior Minister Laurent Nunez stated on Sunday that the war in the Middle East may have motivated the attempted attack.
He suggested the incident might have been carried out by “proxies” linked to Iran. The first suspect was apprehended just after placing a homemade device containing five litres of fuel and an ignition system outside the bank building near the Champs-Elysees.
A second person accompanying him, who appeared to be filming the event, fled the scene. A police source said the detained suspect claimed he was recruited via Snapchat to carry out the bombing for a payment of 600 euros.
French security services have indicated that while France itself may not be a target, US and Israeli interests on its soil could be at risk. Nunez has urged security forces to be “extra-vigilant” and increase their presence in crowded areas like railway stations.
He also called on local officials to use police and surveillance systems to protect sites representing Israeli and American interests. France’s counter-terrorism prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into “attempted damage by fire or other dangerous means”.
The Paris judicial police and the domestic intelligence service (DGSI) are involved in the probe. The incident occurred amid escalating regional conflict following more than a month of US and Israeli bombardment of Iran.
