France | An explosion outside a synagogue in a popular tourist area, a police officer was wounded

in the south of France outside the synagogue located early on Saturday morning, an explosion occurred in which one police officer was wounded. The news agency AFP reports on the matter, among others.

The explosion occurred in La Grande-Motte near the city of Montpellier. La Grande-Motte is a popular tourist destination.

In the explosion, the doors of the Beth Yaacov synagogue were damaged. According to the authorities, two cars outside the synagogue caught fire when a gas cylinder inside the second car exploded.

The suspected perpetrator is still being sought. According to an anonymous official source, the person seen on the surveillance cameras was waving the Palestinian flag.

French prosecutors have opened a terrorism investigation into the matter and the matter is being investigated as a possible act of terrorism.

Prime minister Gabriel Attal described the act as an anti-Semitic act. Minister of the Interior by Gérald Darman called the case “obviously criminal” and said that all means will be used to catch the perpetrator.

Attal and Darmanin planned to travel to the venue on Saturday.

France has increased the police presence in Jewish places because of what happened.

The country’s interior minister Darmanin said earlier this month that anti-Semitic attacks in France have almost tripled in the early part of this year compared to the same time last year.

The French government had counted almost 900 anti-Semitic acts in France in the first half of the year.

Correction 24.8. 15:40: The name of the French interior minister is Gérald Darman, not Gérard Darman.