France: 25 suspects arrested after wave of prison attacks

French authorities on Monday arrested 25 individuals suspected of involvement in a series of attacks on prisons and prison officers across the country.

The arrests come after a wide-ranging investigation into 15 attacks that occurred over a two-week period in April.

According to the national anti-terrorist prosecutor's office, the latest operation represents "significant progress" in efforts to identify the organizers and perpetrators of these acts. Around 200 investigators have been engaged in the investigation.

Police arrested the first 22 suspects at 6 a.m., while three others were detained around 10 a.m., in operations carried out in various areas of France, including Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Bordeaux.

According to broadcaster Franceinfo, sources close to the investigation have said that the attacks appear to have been coordinated and linked to a government offensive against drug trafficking, launched in February.

The group calling itself “Defense of the Rights of French Prisoners” (Défense des Droits des Prisonniers Français, DDPF) has claimed responsibility for the attacks, targeting prisons and prison officers through videos and threats published on its Telegram channel.

French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, in a post on the X network on Monday, welcomed the arrests, stating: "The strength remains of the law and the Republic in our relentless fight against drug trafficking."

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