Police in the French city of Rouen in Normandy killed an armed man on Friday who allegedly planned to attack a synagogue, according to local reports. The man was allegedly planned to set the synagogue on fire.
"In Rouen, national police early this morning neutralised an armed individual apparently intending to set fire to the city's synagogue. I congratulate them for their promptness and bravery," French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said in a post on X.
According to local broadcaster France 3, firefighters were present at the site of the planned attack.
The development comes at a time when Israel has been bombing Gaza for over seven months after Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023. The war has killed at least 34,000 Gazans as of April 2024. Recently, France has increase its alert level to the highest level.
This is a developing story. More details to follow.