French authorities say early-morning intervention stopped a planned attack as investigators probe possible accomplices and recruitment network
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
French police arrested a 17-year-old migrant from Senegal early Saturday after disrupting what authorities described as an attempted bombing outside a Bank of America location in central Paris.
The incident occurred at approximately 3:30 a.m. on La Boétie in the city’s 8th arrondissement, where officers from the anti-crime brigade intervened as the suspect allegedly attempted to ignite an improvised device. Details of the incident were first reported by Le Figaro.
According to the report, the suspect, described as wearing a hood, was seen trying to light a fuse connected to a mortar-style firecracker attached to a five-liter container believed to contain a flammable liquid. Authorities said the ignition attempt failed before detonation, allowing officers to apprehend the individual at the scene.
Investigators identified the suspect as a minor originally from Senegal who is currently living in Seine-Saint-Denis, a suburb north of Paris. Officials said he indicated during questioning that he was not acting alone.
Authorities believe at least one accomplice fled the scene, while another individual may have been involved in transporting the group to the location. The suspect reportedly told investigators he and others had been recruited through the Snapchat messaging platform and were promised 600 euros.
The case has been assigned to the anti-terrorism division of the Criminal Brigade, which is examining potential coordination and broader connections behind the alleged plot.
French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez confirmed the incident in a public statement, praising the officers involved. “Bravo for the swift intervention of a prefecture of police crew that made it possible to thwart a violent action of a terrorist nature last night in Paris,” Nunez said.
“Vigilance remains more than ever at a high level. I congratulate all the security and intelligence forces fully mobilised under my authority in the international context that we know,” he added.
The attempted attack comes amid heightened alert levels across Europe as authorities monitor threats linked to ongoing geopolitical tensions. Officials have reported a series of incidents targeting Jewish and American-linked sites in multiple countries in recent weeks.
Recent attacks have been recorded in Belgium, London, and the Netherlands, with a group identifying itself as Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia claiming responsibility and citing international conflict as a motivating factor.
In a separate case earlier this month, Norwegian police arrested three brothers from Iraq following an explosion outside the U.S. Embassy in Oslo, which authorities are investigating as a possible retaliatory act tied to the same geopolitical context.
French authorities said the investigation into the Paris incident remains ongoing as security services work to determine the full scope of the suspected network involved.
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