ISTANBUL

A police officer was injured on Saturday morning in an explosion outside the Beth Yaacov synagogue in La Grande-Motte, southern France, according to media reports.

The blast, which damaged two vehicles, was caused by a fire that engulfed one car containing a gas cylinder, France 24 said in a report, citing local authorities and the police.

La Grande-Motte Mayor Stephan Rossignol confirmed the incident, saying surveillance footage showed an individual setting fire to the vehicles before the explosion, the broadcaster said.

The injured officer was the first to arrive at the scene, though his condition is unknown, it added.

Outgoing Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin condemned the incident as an "obviously criminal" act on his X account.

"I want to assure our Jewish fellow citizens and the town of my full support," Darmanin stated, emphasizing that "all means have been mobilized to find the perpetrator."

Both Darmanin and Prime Minister Gabriel Attal were scheduled to visit the site later on Saturday.

The explosion is a grim reminder of rising antisemitic incidents in France, with 887 such acts recorded in the first half of 2024, nearly tripling the number from the same period in 2023, according to Darmanin.

La Grande-Motte, a popular seaside resort with a population of about 8,500, receives over 100,000 tourists each year.