French anti-terror prosecutors opened an investigation after police found firearms in a suspicious car parked near a synagogue in a Paris suburb, authorities said on Sunday.
The discovery was made on Saturday evening in Sarcelles, a northern suburb with a large Jewish population. French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said officers recovered a “military-grade weapon” from the vehicle, along with additional firearms.
About 300 people were evacuated from the area, which includes a cinema and restaurants, as a precaution. No explosives were found, according to a police source cited by AFP.
Prosecutors said the probe includes suspected terrorist conspiracy and weapons offenses linked to a potential attack on persons. No arrests have been made and a motive has not been established.
France, home to Europe’s largest Jewish community, has reported a rise in antisemitic incidents since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas after the Gaza-based terrorist organization led a massacre in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
