Police have shot dead an armed attacker who was trying to set fire to a synagogue in the northern French city of Rouen, according to authorities. <\/p>\n
A male suspect entered the building early Friday morning and threw what appeared to be a Molotov cocktail, the local mayor said. <\/p>\n
The man climbed on top of a trash bin and got to the second floor of the synagogue, then threw the projectile into the building causing a fire, Rouen mayor Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol told journalists at the scene. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe was [quickly] brought down by security forces before trying to wrestle with them. He then tried to assault security forces with a knife, a long knife,\u201d the mayor said, adding it was then when security forces opened fired and killed the suspect. <\/p>\n
No one was hurt during the attempted attack, according to Mayer-Rossignol. Police arrived very quickly, partially because they saw the suspect on security cameras, he said. <\/p>\n
The local prosecutor\u2019s office has launched two inquiries, one into the arson and the other into the police firing of arms, Mayer-Rossignol said. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe all have this worry inside of us, but when it actually happens, it is still shocking,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n
France\u2019s Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin tweeted his support for the police who intervened. <\/p>\n
\u201cEarly this morning, police officers in Rouen killed an armed individual clearly intent on setting fire to the city\u2019s synagogue. I congratulate them on their responsiveness and courage,\u201d Darmanin said. <\/p>\n
Rouen authorities had increased police presence at the city\u2019s synagogue following the October 7 attacks in Israel. <\/p>\n
Security measures have ramped up at Jewish institutions across France in response to tensions around the ongoing Israel-Gaza war. Darmanin last month announced additional security at synagogues and Jewish schools. <\/p>\n
\u201cAs Passover approaches and given the current international situation, I have told local officials to significantly step up security at places visited by our Jewish compatriots, especially with regards to synagogues and Jewish schools,\u201d the minister wrote on X. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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