- Security Alerts in France
- Troop Deployment
- Terrorism Concerns Rise
Security Alerts and Evacuations
Separate security alerts on Saturday led to the evacuation of the Louvre Museum and the Palace of Versailles, with thousands of troops being deployed to safeguard sensitive locations across France. This follows a deadly incident on Friday in which an assailant fatally stabbed a teacher, an act described by the president as “terrorist.”
In the northeastern town of Arras, where the attack occurred, sizable Jewish and Muslim communities are concentrated. A twentysomething former student shot and killed French teacher Dominique Bernard and seriously injured three others.
Deployment of Thousands of Troops
As concerns rise over potential violence related to the Israel-Hamas conflict, France announced on Saturday its deployment of up to 7,000 soldiers in response to the highest warning level.
On Friday, police arrested Mohammed Moguchkov, suspected of the attack. One of eleven persons arrested on Saturday, including his 17-year-old sibling and other family members, police told AFP.
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The renowned Louvre museum in Paris closed and evacuated visitors in response to a “security” threat.
Alerts forced evacuation of the Louvre and Versailles.
According to a spokesperson, the Louvre, the world’s largest museum, “received a written message indicating a risk to the museum and its visitors.”
Police evacuated Versailles, a popular tourist location outside the city, after an anonymous online explosives threat.
The presidential palace in the Elysee expects Operation Sentinelle soldiers to finish their deployment by Monday evening.
Sentinelle is a French military operation established after the January 2015 attacks. Its purpose is to safeguard areas in the country vulnerable to terrorism through the deployment of police, soldiers, and gendarmes.
Following his visit to the institution, President Emmanuel Macron stated, “This school was struck by the barbarism of Islamist terrorism,” and commended the victim’s bravery in obstructing the assailant, likely saving many lives.
Security forces thwarted another attempted attack outside Paris, according to Macron. The president, as stated by the interior ministry, referred to the arrest of an individual deemed “radicalized” for possessing a prohibited weapon as he exited a prayer hall in the Yvelines region near Paris.
Later, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin noted that “what is occurring in the Middle East and this incident in Arras are probably connected.”
After a crucial security meeting on Friday, France raised its alert level to highest, the prime minister’s office informed AFP. Also the national counsel against terrorism has initiated an investigation.
The teacher who lost his life on Friday was Bernard, who suffered stab wounds to the chest and throat. The school security officer with several stab wounds and the teacher with less serious injuries sustained injuries. On Saturday, the school was open for students to discuss the previous day’s tragedy. Victoire, a seventeen-year-old final-year student of Bernard, expressed, “I am experiencing both sadness and anger. He was always by our side. In fact, he was an extraordinary individual.”
Impact of Ongoing Israel-Hamas Conflict
In a national address on Thursday, Macron stated that 582 religious and cultural facilities in France were receiving heightened police protection following Hamas’ attack on Israel. During his remarks in Arras, he reiterated his previous call for the French people to “stay united” and “stand shoulder to shoulder.”
