Multiple prisons in France have been attacked overnight, with reports of gunfire and arson.
Vehicles were set alight in prison car parks, according to Le Parisien, while a prison in the southern city of Toulon was fired at with an automatic weapon.
French justice minister Gerald Darmanin confirmed multiple sites were targeted, with local media reports claiming the attacks were co-ordinated.
“Attempts have been made to intimidate staff in several prisons, ranging from burning vehicles to firing automatic weapons,” Darmanin said on social media platform X.
“I am going to Toulon to support the officers concerned. The French Republic is facing up to the problem of drug trafficking and is taking measures that will massively disrupt the criminal networks.”
Prisons were also hit in Aix-en-Provence and Marseille, Valence and Nîmes, Luynes, Villepinte, and Nanterre, according to Le Parisien. BFMTV reported that Agen was also hit.
Prison unions have said burnt vehicles have been found outside prisons for several days, BFMTV reported.
Here’s what we know so far:
According to Le Parisien, the entrance to Toulon prison was targeted by gunmen in a car at around 1am. The gunmen fled the scene.
Gendarmes found the door had been hit seven times and several boxes of ammunition were left on the ground, Le Parisien reported. No one is believed to have been injured.
Several vehicles were set on fire in a street in the 13th district, according to BFMTV, with “DDPF” found spray painted near.
DDPF stands for droit des prisonniers français – the rights of French prisoners.
Le Parisien reported that a residence known for housing prison guards in the north of the city was targeted.
The newspaper said two cars were burnt and nine were spray-painted with “DDPF”. It is not yet clear whether these reports relate to the same cars as those reported by broadcaster BFMTV.
