A sign of the National Police. (illustration) - ALLILI MOURAD / SIPA

The anti-terrorist prosecution seized this Thursday after the discovery of explosives in a building in downtown Epinal. Police intervention was underway in the middle of the day and a suspect was arrested.

At the start of the morning, police officers from the town's police station and the Raid (Research, assistance, intervention, deterrence unit) from Nancy took over a building in the center. "This is an administrative home visit authorized by a liberties and detention judge of the Paris judicial court in connection with the anti-terrorist prosecution", said the public prosecutor in Epinal, Nicolas Heitz . A police source confirmed to AFP that it was an intervention "against the backdrop" of terrorism.

A team of deminers on site

Nicolas Heitz went on the spot "taking into account the objects which were discovered", he declared, confirming that they were explosive products, without further details. A team of deminers was expected on the spot to determine the nature of these explosives, he added.

According to the newspaper Vosges Matin, which revealed the facts, this police operation "follows weak signals from territorial intelligence suggesting the possible presence in a building on the street of a person who may be part of the Islamist movement".

The street was closed, according to the mayor, Michel Heinrich, but "there was no confinement of school, college or high school, except one at the initiative of the head of the establishment". "It is very calm, even if there has been unrest on social networks," commented Michel Heinrich.

  • Society
  • Epinal
  • antiterrorism
  • Explosive