Terror suspects arrested over Lyon 'suitcase explosion'
May 27, 2019
French police have arrested four people after an IED exploded outside a bakery in Lyon, France's third most populous city. Several people were wounded and hospitalized after the attack.
"A suspect has been arrested," French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner, wrote on Twitter. He later said a second man had been detained.
Lyon mayor Gerard Collomb, a former interior minister, said one of the suspects was an IT student student who was arrested as he disembarked a bus.
Later, French authorities said that a police raid was under way in the Oullins suburb south of Lyon, a few hours after the arrest of the IT student, reportedly a 24-year-old Algerian.
Interior Minister Castaner had told prefects in the country to step up security measures in places frequented by people, such as sports or cultural events following Friday's attack. At least 13 people were wounded, including a young girl, but no fatalities were reported.
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A man was caught on CCTV around 5.30 p.m. local time (1530 UTC) dropping off a package in front of a bakery on rue Victor Hugo, close to Place Bellecour, Europe's largest pedestrian square. A police source said the package contained "screws or bolts."
The Paris prosecutor's office, which has jurisdiction over terrorist investigations in France, confirmed that one of the arrested men is the suspected bomber. He is accused of "attempted murder in relation with a terrorist undertaking" and "criminal terrorist association."
Police had earlier described the suspect as a European or North African male in his early 30s, saying that he had fled the scene on a mountain bike.
President Emmanuel Macron called the explosion an "attack" but no group has claimed responsibility for the explosion.
France has been on high-alert since the "Islamic State" militant group launched a series of attacks across Paris, killing 130 people and injuring scores more.
Eiffel Tower fenced off to guard against terror attacks
A series of terror attacks since 2015 has left France on high alert and prompted officials to undertake various security upgrades. That includes enhanced security around one of the world's most recognized structures.
Image: Getty/The Paper Time Machine
Setting sun over the City of Lights
The Eiffel Tower, France's most iconic symbol, is getting a wrap-around fencing that will protect the 1,063 foot (324 meters) tower from an array of potential terror attacks. The thick, bullet-proof, glass is not only intended to guard against gunfire but is supposed to be strong enough keep suicide-minded truck drivers from reaching the tower's base.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/P. Lopez
The glass and the tower
The bulletproof glass is 6.5 cm (2.5 inches) thick, and will run along at least two sides of the tower: the riverside Quai Branly boulevard and the Avenue Gustave Eiffel, which separates the tower from a park.
Image: Reuters/B. Tessier
A metal barrier, too
Two sides of the tower are being fenced off with curved metal prongs. The fencing will be 3.24 meters high - exactly one one-hundreth of the height of the Eiffel Tower.
Image: Reuters/B. Tessier
Tightening security in aftermath of attacks
Once upon a time tourists could walk straight up to the iconic tower without any barriers. But France remains on high alert following a series of deadly terror attacks that have killed more than 240 people since 2015.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/P. Lopez
Under construction
The construction of a bulletproof glass barrier along one side of the Eiffel Tower is part of a broader €35 million ($41 million) security project.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/P. Lopez
The tower and the glass
In addition to the new barrier, anti-terror troops patrol the tower and its surroundings. The forecourt, underneath the tower, has been protected by temporary fencing since June 2016.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/P. Lopez
Enduring appeal?
The barrier is not expected to dent tourists' enthusiasm for the iconic site. As many as 7 million people are expected to visit the Eiffel Tower in 2018.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/P. Lopez
Putting up a barrier
The security barrier, which should be completed in mid-July, is also part of a €300 million revamp of the Eiffel Tower itself. Most of the work is scheduled to be completed ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Image: Reuters/B. Tessier
In the beginning
The tower is named after Gustave Eiffel, whose engineering company designed and built the structure from 1887-89. It initially served as the entrance to the World's Fair and marked the 100th anniversary of the start of the French Revolution.
