Vandals ‘sabotage’ fibre optic networks across France days after first attack
This is the second attack in less than a week.
Another case of ‘sabotage’ has been reported across France in the first week of the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Fibre optic cables have been damaged in several parts of the country in a series of coordinated overnight attacks.
Telecom installations belonging to French companies SFR, Bouygues Telecom and Free have been affected.
It is understood that infrastructure in the south of France, the Meuse region near Luxembourg and the Oise area near Paris had been vandalised.
Over the last 24 hours, SFR recorded at least 76 mobile outages and 482 internet outages on its fixed network throughout the country.
Meanwhile, Free confirmed to Le Parisien newspaper – without giving the causes of the problem – that a ‘multi-operator network incident is underway’ and ‘some services may be disrupted’.
It added: ‘All our teams are currently mobilized to restore the situation.’
At the stage, the Olympics are not affected by the attack, which is currently under investigation.
Authorities are yet to comment on speculation about who is behind the vandalism in France.
This comes after vandals targeted the high-speed rail network on Friday with pre-dawn attacks on signal substations and cables, disrupting travel for 800,000 people before the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics.
Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said this morning that one far-left extremist had been arrested on Sunday in relation with the case.
The man – who has not yet been identified – was intercepted by police in Oissel, just south of Rouen on Sunday, and on Monday was in custody.
It is the first publicly announced arrest made since the sabotage, which affected rail services all weekend.
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