An explosion occurred at a synagogue in southern France on Saturday morning, injuring a police officer.
The cause was two cars set on fire outside the Beth Yaacov synagogue in La Grande-Motte, authorities said. One of the vehicles contained a hidden gas cylinder.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin called the incident “a clear 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 resources are being used to find the perpetrator.
Mr Darmanin and French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal are expected to travel to the scene of the accident later today.
The injured police officer was taken to the emergency room of the University Hospital of Montpellier, French media reported. His injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.
According to the French newspaper Le Figaro, La Grande-Motte Mayor Stéphane Rossignol said that surveillance cameras had captured someone setting fire to vehicles in front of the synagogue.
