Investigators in France say they suspect members of ultra-left groups are responsible for a series of attacks on the country’s high-speed rail network just hours before the opening of the Olympic Games on Friday.
The national rail operator worked through the weekend to get services back up and running on the TGV network. The vandals set fires at three hubs connecting Paris with cities to the north, west and east, disrupting travel for hundreds of thousands of people.
French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on Monday that he and his team have identified “a number of profiles” of people who could have committed the sabotage. He said the attack was very “deliberate” and “targeted,” but he did not categorize it as an act of terror.
He added that investigators are looking into whether someone helped those responsible by telling them which sites to target.
Agence France-Presse reported that police arrested an ultra-left activist at a site belonging to the rail operator on Sunday. The man had keys to restricted areas and tools.
Security officials suspect vandals were also responsible for sabotaging telecommunications networks overnight Sunday. They have come under increasing pressure to protect athletes, officials and visitors at the Games.