NICE, France (AP) 鈥� French police apprehended and detained the suspect behind the arson attack on a synagogue in a southwestern Mediterranean town that injured a police officer, the country's acting interior minister said early Sunday.
Two cars parked at the Beth Yaacov synagogue complex in the seaside resort town of La Grande Motte near Montpellier were set ablaze just after 8 a.m. (0600 GMT) Saturday, the National Antiterrorism Prosecutor's Office said in a statement Saturday.
鈥淭he alleged perpetrator of the arson attack on the synagogue has been arrested," Gerald Darmanin, the acting interior minister, said in a post on X. He visited the site on Saturday afternoon along with acting Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and met with local officials and the synagogue staff.
Darmanin also hailed the 鈥減rofessional conduct鈥� of police forces and its elite intervention unit 鈥渄espite the gunfire鈥� during the operation. He did not provide further information.
Firefighters discovered additional fires at two entrances to the synagogue. A police officer who walked up to the site was injured after a propane gas tank in one of the vehicles exploded, the prosecutor's statement said.
Five people, including the rabbi, who were present in the synagogue complex at the time of the attack were unharmed, it added.
Prosecutors were investigating the attack as an attempted assassination linked to a terrorist group and destruction of property with dangerous means, and a crime planned by a terrorist group with an intent to cause harm, the statement said.
After the attack Saturday, Darmanin ordered police reinforcement to protect Jewish places of worship following what was 鈥渃learly a criminal act.鈥�
鈥淚 want to assure our Jewish fellow citizens of my full support and say that at the request of President Emmanuel Macron all means are being mobilized to find the perpetrator,鈥� Darmanin posted on X. He ordered more police officers deployed at Jewish places of worship around the country following a since the start of the in October.
The mayor of La Grande Motte, St茅phan Rossignol, said that investigators were reviewing the city's surveillance videos and said that a lone suspect was spotted at the site of the attack.
鈥淭he individual in question did not manage to get inside the synagogue, even though that was clearly his objective.鈥� Rossignol said in an interview with broadcaster France Info.
Prosecutors said a male suspect spotted in surveillance videos fleeing the site was carrying a Palestinian flag and a weapon. They spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations amid an ongoing investigation.
said the synagogue attack was a 鈥渢errorist act鈥� and assured that 鈥漞verything is being done to find (the) perpetrator."
鈥淭he fight against antisemitism is a constant battle," Macron said on X.
Attal, the acting prime minister, said the synagogue was targeted in the 鈥渁ntisemitic attack,鈥� a 鈥渟hocking and appalling鈥� act of violence.
鈥淥nce again, French Jews have been targeted and attacked because of their beliefs,鈥� Attal said after meetings in La Grand Motte. 鈥淲e are outraged and repulsed.鈥�
At least 200 police officers and other security personnel have been deployed to apprehend the perpetrator, Attal added.
The assailant who hit the synagogue on the Shabbat morning was 鈥渧ery determined鈥� to cause damage and casualties, Attal said and added that preliminary evidence collected by investigators shows that 鈥渨e have narrowly avoided a tragedy.鈥�
Barbara Surk, The Associated Press
