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Coordinated Gunfire and Arson Attacks Strike French Prisons

A second wave of attacks targets prison staff and facilities as France intensifies its crackdown on drug trafficking networks.

Barbed wire fence at the Tarascon prison near Avignon, France, April 16, 2025. REUTERS/Manon Cruz
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FILE - France's Justice minister Gerald Darmanin looks on as he leaves the weekly cabinet meeting, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2025 at the Elysee Palace in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus, File)

Overview

  • French prisons have been subjected to a series of coordinated attacks, including gunfire with automatic weapons and arson, targeting facilities and staff vehicles.
  • The most recent incidents occurred overnight, with cars set ablaze at Tarascon prison and a prison guard's home targeted in Meaux.
  • Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin has attributed the violence to drug trafficking networks reacting to stricter anti-drug measures, including plans to isolate high-level traffickers in high-security prisons.
  • The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) is leading the investigation, with assistance from domestic intelligence agency DGSI, citing the scale and coordination of the attacks.
  • Graffiti with acronyms like 'DDPF' has been found at multiple sites, hinting at possible involvement of groups claiming to defend prisoner rights, though responsibility remains unconfirmed.