French fiber optic networks ‘sabotaged’ days after ‘coordinated’ attacks paralyzed rail service ahead of Olympics
Reports claim that a number of fiber-optic networks in France have been “sabotaged”, just days after arson attacks crippled high-speed trains during the opening ceremony of the Olympics.
Agence France Presse reported that police in France said they had cut cables for multiple telecom operators on Monday morning, causing damage to them.
Paris, however, has not been affected.
According to Le Parisien, the French newspaper, the cables of electrical cabinets owned by operators SFR and Bouygues were cut in southern France. Installations in the Meuse area near Luxembourg, as well as the Oise region near Paris, had also been vandalized.
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Vandalism is mostly affecting fixed line services, not mobile devices.
No one has yet claimed responsibility for the recent attack against the infrastructure of the country.
Three days earlier, “coordinated acts” had crippled the high-speed rail services on three major routes connecting Paris to Lille, Bordeaux and Strasbourg.
Night-shift workers foiled a fourth attack on the Paris – Marseille line.
At least 250,000 passengers, including those traveling from the UK and other parts of Europe on the Eurostar, were unable to travel on Friday due to the disruption caused by the high-speed trains.
Gabriel Attal, the French Prime Minister, said that France’s intelligence agencies have been mobilized in order to track down the perpetrators behind the “acts” of sabotage which he called “planned and coordinated.”
Attal stated that they had “a very clear objective”: to block the high-speed rail network ahead of the Olympic opening ceremony.
Amelie Oudea-Castera, the Sports Minister, said that playing against the Games was like playing against France, your own team, and your country.
On Monday, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin revealed that “several” people have been identified to be part of the train sabotage. They are suspected to have links to anarchists on the far left.
Darmanin, speaking to France 24, said that the attacks on high-speed rail lines were “deliberate and very well targeted.”
This is a traditional action of the ultra left.
Darmanin said that while he believes the group is linked to the radical far-left, they should “be cautious” when naming the suspects.
Darmanin explained that “These people may be connected to this movement.”
He said that the government was still investigating whether they “were manipulated” or “acted for their own benefit.”
All train lines that were targeted by the terrorist attacks are running as of Monday morning.
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