Police in Paris, France temporarily cordoned off an area around the iconic Arc de Triomphe monument after a bomb alert on Tuesday. Metro lines in the area were also evacuated while police carried out security checks.
The alert was raised over a suspicious bag found on the nearby Champ de Mars, which local media reported as containing different kinds of ammunition.
Un colis suspect est à l’origine de l’alerte. #arcdetriomphepic.twitter.com/0K3frH9pBF
— Nouvelles Informations (@ETFsNI) October 27, 2020
Alerte à la bombe à l’Arc de Triomphe pic.twitter.com/sYUbxcRFPt
— Laurent Leleux (@laurent_llx) October 27, 2020The Metro service at the Charles de Gaulle station was suspended, while road traffic was halted on the Etoile roundabout and part of the Champs-Élysées while the security operation was underway. The cordons have since been lifted.
Alerte à bombe à l'#ArcdeTriomphe, le secteur a été évacué par la police, aucun véhicule ne peut accéder au rond-point de l'Étoile. Trafic très perturbé autour. #champselysees#paris#paris8https://t.co/aGvnFAuTPZpic.twitter.com/LrXjfEI3Tz
— actu Paris (@actufrparis) October 27, 2020French authorities have been on high alert for terrorist threats since October 16, when teacher Samuel Paty was beheaded by an Islamist militant in a suburb of Paris. In its wake, the government has declared the attack a strike against the values of the Republic and cracked down on “extremist” Muslim organizations.