France Arrest after explosion outside French synagogue

The suspected perpetrator of the explosion outside a synagogue in the south of France has been arrested.

This was announced by the acting Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, on Thursday night. The suspect is said to have fired shots - when and in what context is not clear from Darmanin's words. He did not give any further details about the arrest following the possibly terrorist-motivated act. The emergency services had been searching for the perpetrator for hours.

On Saturday morning, two doors of the synagogue in La Grande-Motte near Montpellier were set on fire. Two cars in front of the building also went up in flames. A gas cylinder exploded in one of the vehicles. A police officer was slightly injured. The five people who were in the synagogue at the time were unharmed.

According to BFMTV, the suspect was arrested in Nîmes. The city is around 40 kilometers away from La Grande-Motte. According to the report, the man was injured by police gunfire. However, his life is not in danger.

The anti-terrorism public prosecutor's office is investigating attempted murder with a connection to terrorism, the formation of a terrorist organization and destruction by dangerous means. "The initial investigations indicate that the perpetrator was carrying a Palestinian flag and a weapon," the public prosecutor's office announced.