Three arrested in Paris after attempted bomb attack outside Bank of America

 

Three arrested in Paris after attempted bomb attack outside Bank of America (Image: Reuters)

Three people have been arrested in connection with a suspected foiled bomb attack on the Bank of America's headquarters in Paris, France's anti-terrorism prosecutor's office said.

 A police source told AFP that an initial suspect was detained at the scene after he placed a device near the bank that contained five liters of fuel-like liquid and an ignition system. In connection with the incident, which occurred on Saturday around 03:30 local time (1:30 GMT) in the city's 8th arrondissement, a few streets from the Champs-Élysées, French security officials announced on Sunday that two additional individuals had been arrested. France's Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said the attempted attack could be linked to the US-Israel war on Iran.

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 He explained, "In this kind of conflict, you have a number of Iranian services that are likely to carry out actions like these through proxies." "The investigation must determine if there is a significant suspicion," The Iranian embassy in France has not commented on Nuñez's remarks.

 According to a police source, as reported by AFP, the initial suspect, who was detained at the scene, was accompanied by a second person who appeared to be taking photos and videos with a mobile phone but fled when officers arrived.

The prosecutor's office announced on Sunday that "two additional individuals were taken into police custody last night as part of the investigation launched on March 28, 2026 into the offenses committed against Bank of America." It added that the first suspect's minor custody had been extended. Under French law, suspects in terrorism cases can be held for 96 hours.  A court can extend this time frame. Nuez asserted that other European nations, such as France, the Netherlands, Britain, and Norway, have prevented attacks of a similar nature. He urged security services to be "extra vigilant" and increase their presence at transport hubs and other locations across the country.

 The investigation, which was looking into "attempted damage by fire or other dangerous means in connection with a terrorist undertaking" and a "terrorist criminal conspiracy," was immediately taken over by France's anti-terrorism prosecutor's office. The Paris judicial police and France's domestic intelligence service, the General Directorate for Internal Security, are also involved in the investigation, according to the anti-terrorism prosecutor's office.

Source: BBC