TEHRAN, July 26 (MNA) – The high-speed train lines in France were targeted by arson attacks early Friday, French officials said, causing massive travel disruptions hours before the Opening Ceremonies of the Paris Olympic Games.French Caretaker Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said that “acts of sabotage” were carried out in a “prepared and coordinated manner” and “nerve centers were targeted which shows a certain knowledge of the network to know where to strike.” It was not immediately clear who was behind the suspected attacks and authorities did not announce any arrests.
The public prosecutor’s office opened an investigation within its organized crime framework rather than a counterterrorism inquiry, indicating that range of individuals or groups — including political activists — could be responsible, the Washington Post reported.
Nobody was reported to have been injured, but French officials said the impact for travelers and the country’s reputation ahead of the Olympic Games are severe.
“The consequences on the rail network are massive and serious,” Attal said in a post on X, adding that “our intelligence services and law enforcement are mobilized to find and punish the perpetrators of these criminal acts.” MA/PR