Overview
- A large fire destroyed part of Brügger & Thomet’s commercial building in Thun during the night of Oct. 28–29 and firefighters reported no injuries.
- The regional prosecutor has said investigators are prioritizing a criminal motive and the Bern cantonal police have launched a public call for witnesses to help determine the cause and scale of the damage.
- A video claiming responsibility for a so-called “désarmement” action was circulated and shared with the ecological collective Les Soulèvements de la Terre, but authorities and police unions say the clip’s authenticity has not been independently verified.
- B&T has temporarily closed its offices, shop and shooting range and is assessing material damage, leaving uncertain near-term effects on the company’s operations and on supplies of GL06/LBD40 launchers used by French police.
- Coverage places the blaze in the context of long-running controversy over LBD launchers in France, with commentators pointing to past severe injuries as a motive and analysts warning the probe could raise cross-border legal and political tensions.