French police arrest synagogue arson suspect

French police have arrested a man suspected of trying to set a synagogue ablaze in the southern French city of la Grande-Motte on Saturday, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said.

About 200 police officers had been hunting for the suspect, Prime Minister Gabriel Attal said earlier, adding that the attacker had set fire to several entry doors to the synagogue and several cars nearby.

BFM TV said the suspect was a 33-year-old Algerian. Local police declined to give details.

The anti-terrorism prosecutor's office, which was put in charge of the investigation, said early on Sunday that a suspect had been arrested in Nîmes on Saturday evening.

"Before the police could intervene, (the suspect) opened fire on the (police), which returned fire. The man was wounded in the face," the office said in a statement, adding that two other people were taken into custody.

A policeman was slightly injured when a gas bottle exploded as police secured the site of the attack on Saturday morning, Attal said.

"This is an antisemitic attack. Once more, our Jewish compatriots are targeted," Attal said on X. "In the face of antisemitism, in the face of violence, we will never allow ourselves to be intimidated."

After visiting the synagogue, Attal said an "absolute tragedy" had been narrowly averted after firefighters and police arrived quickly at the scene.

Local media reported earlier that the suspect had set fire to two cars, one of which contained at least one gas bottle, in the synagogue's parking area at about 8:30 a.m. (0630 GMT).

Police protection of synagogues, and Jewish schools and shops would be stepped up across France, the government said.

France, like other countries in Europe, has seen a surge in antisemitic incidents following the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel's retaliatory assault on Gaza.

Le Parisien, franceinfo and other media said the suspect had been seen on CCTV shortly before the attack with a Palestinian flag tied round his waist.

"Exploding a gas bottle in a car in front of the Grande Motte synagogue at the expected time of arrival of the faithful: it's not just attacking a place of worship, it's an attempt to kill Jews," Yonathan Arfi, who leads the CRIF, an umbrella organisation of French Jewish groups, said on X.

La Grande-Motte is a port and resort city on the French Mediterranean coast.