Paris railway station evacuated after bomb alert

AP

Paris, 28 September 2010: Police and France’s railway operator say authorities briefly evacuated a train station in a bustling area near Paris’ historic Opera house following a bomb alert.

 

Police say bomb squads and lab technicians turned up no explosives in a search at the Saint-Lazare station after an anonymous caller phoned in the bomb threat to police.

 

French authorities say France is facing an elevated terror threat. They suspect al-Qaeda’s North African affiliate of plotting a bomb attack on a crowded target.

 

File photo shows a security officer standing by a full car at the Saint-Lazare railway station in Paris. Police said authorities briefly evacuated the railway station near the city’s historic Opera house following a bomb alert.

 

A bomb alert led police to evacuate the Eiffel Tower on September 14, though no explosives were found. The French Senate voted earlier this month to ban burqa-style Islamic veils in France, a subject that has prompted warnings by al-Qaeda’s north Africa wing.