In France, police shot and killed a man who wanted to carry out an attack on a synagogue. He set fire to the building and was armed.
According to authorities, police in Rouen in northern France prevented an arson attack on a synagogue and shot the armed suspect. The man apparently tried to set the synagogue on fire and was killed by the emergency services, wrote Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin on the online service
Armed with a knife and an iron bar
Police said they were alerted early in the morning to reports of smoke rising from the synagogue in the capital of the northern French region of Normandy. A man who was armed with a knife and an iron bar rushed towards the officers on site. A police officer opened fire, killing the attacker.
The identity and motives of the attacker are still unclear. The fire had been brought under control, said a city administration official.
Anti-Semitic crimes increased sharply
Prosecutors in Rouen opened two separate investigations into the incident. Public prosecutor Frédéric Teillet said the case was being investigated for arson and violence against officials. According to him, the circumstances surrounding the suspect’s death should also be investigated.
France is home to the largest Jewish community outside of Israel and the USA. At the same time, the country is home to Europe’s largest Muslim community. Anti-Semitic crimes have increased sharply in France since the start of the war between Israel and the radical Islamic Hamas in the Gaza Strip. There have also been numerous pro-Palestinian protests in France in recent months.