French authorities said on Sunday they arrested two additional suspects linked to a foiled bombing outside Bank of America’s Paris offices. Police had detained one person a day earlier after spotting two men near the building carrying a shopping bag; one reportedly had just placed a device composed of an ignition system and a liquid-filled container and was about to light it when detained, while his accomplice fled. Prosecutors said custody of the first arrested suspect has been extended.
The incident occurred around 3:30 a.m. local time (0230 GMT) a few streets from the Champs-Élysées. An initial assessment found about 650 grams (23 ounces) of explosive powder in the device, which was sent to a forensics laboratory for full analysis.
France’s national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office (PNAT) opened an investigation into alleged terrorism-related offenses, including attempted damage by fire or other dangerous means, manufacture of an incendiary or explosive device, possession and transport of such devices with intent to cause harm, and involvement in a terrorist criminal association.
Interior Minister Laurent Nunez praised the rapid police intervention on X, saying it helped thwart “a violent act of a terrorist nature” and that vigilance remains at a very high level, with security and intelligence services fully mobilized given the current international context.
The AFP cited an unnamed police source saying the first arrested suspect was recruited via the Snapchat app to carry out the attack in exchange for €600 (about $692). A Bank of America spokesperson told AFP the bank was aware of the situation and in contact with French authorities.
French officials have heightened security around sites linked to US interests and the Jewish community since recent US-Israeli strikes on Iran began last month; personal protection for some exiled Iranian opposition figures has also been increased.
Edited by: Darko Janjevic and Natalie Muller