Paris, (Reuters): A major attack has taken place on the high-speed rail network before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games in France. This has led to chaos on the railway lines. This is the situation when apart from large-scale police security, army personnel are also deployed for the security of the players who have come to participate in the Olympic Games. In such a situation, players from different countries have also become worried about their security. The Olympic Games are to be inaugurated on Friday itself. But before that France has been engulfed in the fire of chaos. This has spread panic among players all over the world.
It is being told that this attack and sabotage was done on France’s TGV high-speed train network. After this incident, chaos has spread on the country’s busiest railway lines before the Paris Olympic opening ceremony to be held tomorrow on 27 July. Let us tell you that despite the extensive security operation of thousands of soldiers and police to protect the global sports mega event from any danger, every player is in panic due to this attack. The state-owned railway operator said arsonists damaged signal boxes on lines linking Paris to cities such as Lille in the north, Bordeaux in the west and Strasbourg in the east. Another attack on the Paris-Marseille line was foiled.
Thousands of people were left stranded
After the attack and vandalism, SNCF urged all passengers to postpone their journeys. Repair work was underway on the damaged items. But traffic will remain severely disrupted at least until the end of the weekend. Trains are being sent back to their departure points. No one has immediately claimed responsibility for the incident. There is no indication whether the attack was politically motivated. At the same time, French Transport Minister Patrice Vergit told reporters at Gare du Nord, “Everything leads us to believe that these were criminal acts.”
Explosives were used in the attack
Explosives have also been used extensively in the attack on France’s rail network. The SNCF said the attacks targeted signalling installations on the Atlantic, northern and eastern high-speed lines by setting them on fire using explosive devices. SNCF chief Jean-Pierre Farandeau said about 800,000 commuters were affected ahead of a busy French holiday weekend. Thousands of rail workers have been deployed to carry out repairs. But coordinated attacks on the rail network will create a sense of apprehension ahead of the Olympic opening ceremony in the centre of Paris on Friday.
Destabilising France
“This attack is no coincidence, it is an attempt to destabilise France,” Valerie Pecresse, president of the Paris region, told reporters. France is running an unprecedented peacetime security operation to secure the event, deploying more than 45,000 police, 10,000 soldiers and 2,000 private security agents. Snipers will also monitor from rooftops, drones and the air.
The capital has been closed for the opening ceremony. Security elsewhere in the country is light.
