France is on high alert after a wave of coordinated attacks targeted prisons across the country, with vehicles set alight and one jail hit by gunfire. The government has condemned the attacks as "terrorism" and vowed to take severe measures against those responsible.
Seven prisons were targeted in the attacks, which occurred in southern France and near Paris. The prisons affected include those in Toulon, Aix-En-Provence, Marseille, Valence, and Nîmes, as well as Villepinte and Nanterre. In Toulon, gunmen opened fire on the prison gate with a Kalashnikov, while in other locations, vehicles were set alight.
France's Justice Minister, Gérald Darmanin, has described the attacks as "terrorist attacks" and announced that the national anti-terrorism prosecutor's office has launched an investigation. Darmanin visited the La Farlede prison in Toulon, where the gunfire occurred, and vowed that the perpetrators would face "extremely severe sentences.
The government has promised to take a relentless approach to tackling the issue, with Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau instructing police to strengthen security at prison facilities. The prison guard union, FO Justice, has expressed its concern and anger over the attacks, calling for urgent government action to protect prison staff.
The attacks appear to be linked to the government's efforts to tackle drug crime, with Darmanin suggesting that the perpetrators may be trying to intimidate prison workers. A law is currently passing through the French parliament that would create a special prosecutor's office to deal with drugs crime, with new powers for investigators.
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