An explosion took place outside a synagogue in southern France on Saturday morning, injuring a police officer.
It was caused by two cars being set alight outside the Beth Yaacov synagogue in La Grande-Motte, authorities said. One of the vehicles contained a hidden gas bottle.
France’s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin called the incident “an obviously criminal act”.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, he wrote: “I want to assure our Jewish fellow citizens and the municipality of my full support”, and said all means were being mobilised to find the perpetrator.
Mr Darmanin and French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal are expected to travel to the scene later today.
The wounded police officer was taken to the emergency room of Montpellier University Hospital, French media report. His injuries are not said to be life-threatening.
The mayor of La Grande-Motte, Stéphane Rossignol, said surveillance cameras had picked up an individual setting fire to vehicles in front of the synagogue, according to French newspaper Le Figaro.
