France: Police detain suspect in synagogue arson attack
Two elite police units detained the suspect following a raid in the nearby city of Nimes on Saturday, according to CNN affiliate BFMTV.
According to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, the suspect opened fire on the police.
«The alleged perpetrator of the arson attack on the synagogue has been detained. Thanks to the police, and mainly the RAID, who intervened with great professionalism despite his gunfire,» Darmanin said on X, referencing an elite unit of the National Police.
BFMTV reported that the suspect was wounded but not in critical condition following the gunfight.
The arrest follows a blast outside a synagogue that injured a police officer, the latest in a series of incidents in recent months that have unsettled France's large Jewish community.
A lone suspect set multiple cars on fire in a parking lot across the street from Synagogue Beth Yaacov before one exploded in La Grande-Motte, a southern seaside town not far from Montpellier. Observant Jews typically go to synagogue on Saturday morning to celebrate the Sabbath.
«Our thoughts are with the congregation at the Grande-Motte synagogue and all the Jews of our country. Everything is being done to find the perpetrator of this terrorist act and tpo protect places of worship,» French President Emmanuel Macron said. «The fight against antisemitism is a constant battle, that of a united nation.»
French anti-terrorism prosecutors earlier confirmed that they had taken charge of the investigation. It said an initial investigation indicated that the
