6 French airports evacuated after 'threats of attack': Police

The incidents followed other bomb threats in France since Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel

By AFP

Published: Wed 18 Oct 2023, 3:04 PM

Six airports across France were evacuated on Wednesday after emailed "threats of attack", a police source told AFP, the latest in a series of similar threats in recent days.

The evacuations at Lille, Lyon, Nantes, Nice, Toulouse and Beauvais airport near Paris would allow authorities to "clear up any doubts" that the threats might be real, the source said.

The incidents followed other bomb threats in France since Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel and Friday's fatal stabbing of a teacher in northern city Arras by a man claiming allegiance to Daesh.

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A spokesman for France's DGAC aviation authority confirmed evacuations over bomb warnings only at Lille, Lyon, Toulouse and Beauvais, and was unable to give further details immediately.

The DGAC's online dashboard showed significant delays at Lille, Lyon and Toulouse.

A post on Nice airport's X (formerly Twitter) account said that "following an abandoned baggage item... a security perimeter was set up to allow the usual checks".

"The situation has now returned to normal," it added.

Airport authorities at Lyon's Bron airport also said that the all-clear had been given.

In Lille, an airport spokeswoman said three flights had been diverted, while a post on its X account said security forces were on the scene.

There was confusion from passengers on social media, with some apparently in the dark about why they were being ushered out of airports.

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