French intelligence services thwarted a potential terror attack targeting the Jewish community last night (Saturday) in the Paris suburbs. The DGSI, France’s domestic intelligence agency, received specific intelligence about a suspicious vehicle that may have been intended for use in a violent attack against Jews. Following the tip, large police forces located the vehicle in Sarcelles, a city north of Paris known for its particularly large and vibrant Jewish community.
Once the suspicious vehicle was located near Sarcelles’ local synagogue, authorities declared an immediate state of emergency in the area. French security forces quickly evacuated about 300 people from a cinema and several nearby restaurants, establishing a wide security perimeter around the scene. Bomb disposal experts called to the site conducted a controlled inspection of the vehicle shortly before midnight, discovering a rifle and a pistol in the trunk—weapons described as “long-range war weapons.”
Paris Police Chief Laurent Nunez addressed the incident in an interview today with French news channel BFMTV, confirming the details. Nunez praised the swift work of intelligence services and police, noting that a broad criminal investigation has been opened in coordination with the Interior Ministry. The suspects have not yet been arrested, and their motives are under investigation, but the presence of weapons near the synagogue raises strong suspicion of an attempted attack motivated by antisemitism.