Overview

• At least nine French prisons and related facilities have been targeted with arson and gunfire in recent days, with attacks escalating to staff homes and vehicles.
• Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin and Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau have condemned the incidents as attempts to intimidate state authorities and disrupt anti-drug measures.
• The National Anti-Terrorism Prosecutor's Office (PNAT) is leading the investigation, with assistance from domestic intelligence agency DGSI, as no group has formally claimed responsibility.
• The acronym 'DDPF,' linked to a Telegram group advocating for prisoner rights, has been found at attack sites, but authorities suspect drug networks are behind the violence.
• One suspect has been detained as security measures around prisons and staff residences are reinforced, with officials vowing to maintain their hardline stance on drug trafficking.