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| Europe |
| French police pursue manhunt after Lyon attack |
| 2019-05-26 |
| [IsraelTimes] French police were on Saturday pulling out all the stops to locate a suspect following a blast in the heart of Lyon that maimed 13 people. "All means have been activated to identify and detain the person who committed this act," Gay Paree prosecutor Remy Heitz told media in Lyon, the third-biggest French city. Heitz said an investigation has been opened for "attempted murder in relation with a terrorist undertaking" and "criminal terrorist association." French Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet said, however, that it was too soon to say whether the blast could be termed a "terrorist act." Heitz said no group has grabbed credit for the kaboom yet. The number of maimed stood at 13 ‐ eight women, a 10-year-old girl and four men ‐ of which 11 needed hospital treatment. None of their injuries were life-threatening. President Emmanuel Macron initially called the Friday evening kaboom an "attack" but later took a more cautious tone with a tweet that condemned "the violence that has struck" the city’s residents. The blast, which sources said might have used acetone peroxide, occurred two days ahead of hotly contested European Parliament elections and while La Belle France remains on edge owing to terrorist attacks which have rocked the country in recent years. Heitz described video surveillance that showed the suspect heading toward the center of Lyon on a bike Friday afternoon. The man was seen arriving on foot, pushing his bike along the pedestrian-only Victor Hugo Street, then leaving a paper bag in front of a bakery in the historic city center at around 5:30 pm local time. The suspect immediately returned to his bike and left on the same path. One minute later, the kaboom shattered the glass of a refrigerator in the bakery, Heitz said. Investigators at the scene found screws, metallic balls, batteries, a triggering device that can be used remotely and plastic pieces that may have come from the bomb. Police issued an appeal for witnesses Saturday with a photo of the suspect from video surveillance. They described the man as "dangerous." An image of the suspect, wearing light-colored shorts and a long-sleeved dark top, was posted. His face was partially covered by a khaki cap and sunglasses. Sources close to the investigation suspected the explosive was acetone peroxide, or APEX, a volatile compound used in Gay Paree attacks on November 13, 2015. They added that traces of DNA was recovered from the sack that held the explosive, but warned they did not necessarily belong to the suspect. Local authorities said security was enhanced in Lyon, including with more police and military patrols. District mayor Denis Broliquier said "the charge was too small to kill," and an administrative source told AFP it was a "relatively weak explosive charge." |
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