This Friday, July 26, just hours before the Paris Olympic Games opening ceremony, France's high-speed rail network was hit by arson attacks that disrupted travel.
According to a source close to the investigation, the attacks were described as "coordinated acts of sabotage," as reported by France-Presse (AFP).
According to SNCF, the state-owned railway operator, vandals damaged signal boxes on three major rail lines linking Paris with other key cities, while a fourth attempt was successfully thwarted.
Approximately 800,000 passengers are expected to be affected over the weekend due to the extensive and labor-intensive repairs required for the damage.
“Early this morning, coordinated and prepared acts of sabotage were perpetrated against installations of SNCF,” Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said.
Two security sources noted that the method of operation initially led to suspicions of involvement by leftist militants or environmental activists. However, they added that there is currently no evidence to support these claims.
SNCF advised its passengers to postpone their journeys and “not to go to the station”.
The attacks were carried out as Paris prepared for the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, which will be attended by 7,500 athletes, 300,000 spectators, and many VIPs.
The opening ceremony will be held for the first time outside the main athletics stadium in the form of a boat parade on the Seine.
This sabotage in Paris comes days after the arrest of a 40-year-old Russian chef, Kirill Gryaznov, over an alleged plot to sabotage the Paris Olympic Games.
