A parcel bomb exploded at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) office in Paris, France on March 16 injuring one person.
Around 150 people in the building, located near the historic Arc de Triomphe, were evacuated by authorities following the explosion.
IMF chief Christine Lagarde condemned it as a “cowardly act of violence” and reaffirmed “IMF’s resolve to continue our work in line with our mandate.”
Security personnel cordoned off the area. Philippe Wojazer / Reuters
Paris police believes that the parcel bomb was sent by post but they are tracing the origin of the parcel.
According to the police, threats over telephone were issued but they did not say whether the threats had any direct link to the explosion.
“We are working closely with the French authorities to investigate this incident and ensure the safety of our staff,” Lagarde said.
En direct #FMI #paris https://t.co/Xv2eZvgUal
Advertisement— Guillaume (@CM_Hamilton) March 16, 2017
Reports say that a Greek far-left group called Conspiracy of Fire Nuclei may have had a hand in the attack. They had sent a parcel bomb to German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble’s office.
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The group is one of the many in Greece that opposes the economic policies of the IMF and Germany for Greece.
French President Francois Hollande said that the “attack” showed that “we are still targeted.”
On the other hand, teenagers stormed into a high school in the French town of Grasse with grenades and rifles. The firing left at least two people injured, including the headmaster.
Image from scene of the shooting in Grasse, France. pic.twitter.com/8t07b4J4i9
— Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) March 16, 2017
Police arrested a 17-year-old student carrying a rifle, two handguns and two grenades. The student appears to have no record. The other student escaped.
Schools in Grasse town have been locked down following the incident.
Schools in Grasse has been shut down following the attack.Twitter
France has been increasingly being targeted in terrorist attacks perpetrated by the Islamic State and other lone wolf terrorists for the past two years.
On November 13, 2015 terrorists killed 130 people in multiple attacks across Paris. In 2016, 84 people were killed by an attacker in Nice. France is under a state of emergency till after the 2017 elections.
