French police have arrested two men after a suspected parcel bomb exploded in Lyon last week, injuring 13 people.

The device, packed with screws and ball bearings, detonated outside a bakery on Friday afternoon.

One of the men arrested, a 24-year-old, is the suspected bomber, prosecutors say. No details have been given on the other.

Police had been hunting for a man seen cycling near the scene of the blast wearing a balaclava and rucksack.

Anti-terrorist prosecutors are leading the investigation, co-ordinating with Lyon police and France's internal security service, the DGSI.

The explosion struck near the corner of two crowded pedestrian streets in Lyon's historic city centre.

Investigators have reportedly recovered screws, ball bearings, along with a printed circuit, batteries and a remote-controlled trigger device.

Denis Broliquier, the city's district mayor, told press that "the charge was too small to kill," and a government source told AFP news agency it had been a "relatively weak explosive charge".

Those hurt, including a girl aged eight, appear to have suffered superficial injuries.

French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner confirmed one of the arrests in a Tweet on Monday, saying joint action by several agencies had been "decisive".

Gérard Collomb, Mayor of Lyon, told local media that a second man was also arrested without giving further detail.

No-one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The last time a parcel bomb had exploded in France was in 2007 when a device killed one person and injured another in front of a law office in Paris. Police never found the bomber.

Jihadist gun and bomb attacks have killed more than 250 people in France since 2015 and the country remains on high alert, with military patrols a regular feature of security in cities including Lyon. </s> Image copyright AFP Image caption The device, full of screws, nuts and bolts, went off in Lyon city centre last week

French police have arrested four people after a suspected parcel bomb exploded in Lyon last week, injuring 13 people.

The device, packed with screws and ball bearings, detonated outside a bakery on Friday afternoon.

One of those arrested, a 24-year-old man, is the suspected bomber, prosecutors say. Another man and a woman were also reportedly detained.

Police had been hunting for a man seen cycling near the scene of the blast wearing a balaclava and rucksack.

Anti-terrorist prosecutors are leading the investigation, co-ordinating with Lyon police and France's internal security service, the DGSI.

What do we know about the suspects?

French media report that one suspect is an IT student of Algerian nationality. A source told news agency Reuters that police arrested him in Lyon after tailing him in the street. It reportedly decided not to arrest him in his apartment in case there were explosives in the building.

The second suspect, according to local press, is a minor who attends a school in the city.

Two other people, a man and a woman, have also been arrested. They are reportedly the parents of one of the suspects.

Last week, police released a picture from CCTV footage of a person they believe carried out the bombing.

Image copyright AFP Image caption Police called for information on this man after the blast

What do we know about the attack?

The explosion struck near the corner of two crowded pedestrian streets in Lyon's historic city centre.

Investigators have recovered screws, ball bearings, along with a printed circuit, batteries and a remote-controlled trigger device.

Denis Broliquier, the city's district mayor, told press that "the charge was too small to kill," and a government source told AFP news agency it had been a "relatively weak explosive charge".

Those hurt, including a girl aged eight, appear to have suffered superficial injuries.

French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner confirmed one of the arrests in a Tweet on Monday, saying joint action by several agencies had been "decisive".

No-one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The last time a parcel bomb had exploded in France was in 2007 when a device killed one person and injured another in front of a law office in Paris. Police never found the bomber.

Jihadist gun and bomb attacks have killed more than 250 people in France since 2015 and the country remains on high alert, with military patrols a regular feature of security in cities including Lyon. </s> French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner announced Monday that a suspect has been arrested in connection with a package bomb that wounded 13 people Friday in Lyon. Lyon's mayor said later that a second suspect had been arrested.

Security camera footage of the incident showed the main suspect wheeling a bicycle to the scene before leaving a bag outside a branch of a popular bakery chain.The man was caught on CCTV cameras but police were unable to get a clear image as he was wearing sunglasses and a cap.

Authorities pulled out all the stops to locate the suspect following the blast in the heart of Lyon, France’s third-largest city. His photo was circulated on Twitter, with two new images late Saturday showing a man wearing a green T-shirt, Bermuda shorts and carrying a dark rucksack. Authorities urged witnesses to call the emergency services if they have any information.

Sources close to the investigation suspected the explosive was acetone peroxide, or APEX, a volatile compound used in the deadly Paris attacks on November 13, 2015.

Paris Prosecutor Rémy Heitz said over the weekend that 90 investigators and 30 police technical experts were working on the case. No one has yet claimed responsibility.

Heitz took charge of the investigation, which he said involved “attempted murder in connection with a terrorist enterprise or association with terrorist criminals”. The Paris prosecutor's office has jurisdiction over all terror cases in France.

French Justice Minister Nicole Belloubet said, however, that it was too soon to say whether the blast could be termed a “terrorist act”

Traces of DNA were recovered from the rucksack that held the explosive but authorities cautioned that it did not necessarily belong to the suspect. The DNA sample did not match any listed in France’s national DNA index (Fichier national des empreintes génétiques), said a source close to the investigation, confirming information published in the Lyon-based newspaper, Le Progrès.

President Emmanuel Macron initially called the Friday evening explosion an “attack” but later took a more cautious tone with a tweet that condemned “the violence that has struck” the city’s residents.

Eight women, four men and a 10-year-old girl were among the 13 people wounded, 11 of whom needed hospital treatment. None of their injuries were life-threatening, although Heitz said some would have to undergo surgical intervention to remove shrapnel.

He said investigators had recovered small screws, ball bearings and batteries along with a printed circuit and a remote-controlled trigger device, as well as pieces of white plastic that might have been part of the explosive device.

It was placed in front of a bakery near the corner of two crowded pedestrian streets in the historic centre of the city at around 17:30 (1530 GMT) on Friday.

"It's an area in the very centre of Lyon, a major street," the city's deputy mayor in charge of security, Jean-Yves Secheresse, told BFM television.

"These areas are highly secured, the police are continually present", as were patrols by soldiers deployed in the country’s long-running anti-terror operation, he said.

Lyon and its extensive suburbs are home to some 2.3 million people.

District Mayor Denis Broliquier said “the charge was too small to kill” and an administrative source told AFP it was a “relatively weak explosive charge”.

“There was an explosion and I thought it was a car crash,” said Eva, a 17-year-old student who was about 15 metres (50 feet) from the blast site.

“There were bits of electric wire near me, and batteries and bits of cardboard and plastic. The windows were blown out."

“I was working, serving customers, and all of a sudden there was a huge ‘boom’,” said Omar Ghezza, a baker who works nearby.

“We thought it had something to do with renovation work,” he said.

France has been on high alert owing to a wave of deadly jihadist terror attacks since the country's worst such attack in November 2015 in Paris. In total over 250 people have been killed in the terror attacks in France.

The last was in December, when five people were killed and 11 wounded at an attack on a Christmas market in Strasbourg in eastern France.

The last package bomb in France dates back to December 2007, when a blast in front of a Paris law office killed one person and injured another. Police never determined who carried out that attack. </s> French police scour the area in Lyon after the package bomb blast that wounded more than a dozen people. (AFP / PHILIPPE DESMAZES)

French police arrested four people Monday over a package bomb explosion in the heart of the southeastern city of Lyon last week which injured 13 people, authorities said. A police raid was under way in a building in the Oullins suburb just south of the city, a few hours after the arrest of the suspected bomber, a 24-year-old Algerian IT student.

The man’s parents were later arrested and taken in for questioning, as was a second student of Algerian nationality who is a family relation, according the Paris prosecutor’s office, which has jurisdiction over terrorism cases in France.

The suspect was previously unknown to police, Lyon’s Mayor Gerard Collomb said.

He was arrested as he got off a bus, calmly putting his hands in the air when he spotted officers approaching, Collomb said.

The man’s sister has also been questioned but she has not been arrested, prosecutors added.

Police had been searching for a man seen cycling near the scene of the blast wearing a green top and Bermuda shorts and carrying a dark-coloured rucksack.

He has been the target of an extensive manhunt since late Friday when an explosive device filled with screws and ball bearings was placed in front of a bakery near the corner of two crowded pedestrian streets in the historic centre of Lyon.

Police circulated photos of the suspect on Twitter, which they said led to “several dozen” calls from people with information.

Sources close to the investigation said the explosive was most likely acetone peroxide, or APEX, a volatile compound used in the deadly Paris terror attacks of November 13, 2015.

Investigators recovered small screws, ball bearings and batteries along with a printed circuit board and a remote-controlled trigger device. Officials later said the charge was relatively weak.

Thirteen people were wounded in the blast — eight women, four men and a 10-year-old girl — of whom 11 needed hospital treatment.

FRENCH POLICE/AFP / Handout French police had circulated photos of the suspect on Twitter, leading to “several dozen” calls from people with information

 None of their injuries are believed to be life-threatening, though authorities said some needed surgery to remove shrapnel. France has been on high alert following a wave of deadly jihadist terror attacks since 2015 which have killed more than 250 people.

The Islamic State group has been behind many of the attacks. No one has claimed responsibility for the Lyon blast. </s> PARIS (AP) - French Interior minister Christophe Castaner says a suspect has been arrested following a blast in the city of Lyon that wounded 13 people last week.

Castaner announced the arrest on Twitter but did not say where the suspect was arrested.

Police had launched a large manhunt after a device exploded Friday on a busy pedestrian street in the central city. An investigation has been opened for "attempted murder in relation with a terrorist undertaking" and "criminal terrorist association."

No group has claimed responsibility for the explosion yet.

Soldiers of French anti terrorist plan "Vigipirate Mission", secure the area, near the site of a suspected bomb attack in central Lyon, Friday May, 24, 2019. A small explosion Friday on a busy street in the French city of Lyon lightly injured several people, local officials said. (AP Photo/Sebastien Erome)

Soldiers of French antiterrorist plan "Vigipirate Mission", secure the access near the site of a suspected bomb attack in central Lyon, Friday May, 24, 2019. A small explosion Friday on a busy street in the French city of Lyon lightly injured several people, local officials said. (AP Photo/Sebastien Erome)

A vehicle of French anti terrorist plan "Vigipirate Mission", is seen near the site of a suspected bomb attack in central Lyon, Friday May, 24, 2019. A small explosion Friday on a busy street in the French city of Lyon lightly injured several people, local officials said. (AP Photo/Sebastien Erome) </s> LYON
• French police have arrested three people over an explosion in the south-eastern city of Lyon last week which injured 13 people, the authorities said.

The suspected bomber, a 24-year-old Algerian citizen, was arrested along with his mother and another Algerian student who is a family friend, Paris prosecutors said in a statement yesterday.

The suspect is an IT student previously unknown to police, Lyon's Mayor Gerard Collomb said.

Police have also questioned his sister but she has not been arrested, the Paris prosecutors added.

Prosecutors last Friday opened an investigation over "attempted murders linked to a terrorist organisation".

Police had been hunting for a man seen cycling near the scene of the blast who was wearing a green top and bermuda shorts, and carrying a dark rucksack.

He had been the target of an extensive manhunt since late Friday when an explosive device filled with screws and ball bearings was placed in front of a bakery near the corner of two crowded pedestrian streets in the historic centre of Lyon.

Police circulated photos of the suspect on Twitter, leading to "several dozen" calls from people with information.

Sources close to the investigation suspected the explosive was acetone peroxide, or Apex, a volatile compound used in the deadly Paris attacks of Nov 13, 2015.

Investigators of the Lyon incident recovered small screws, ball bearings and batteries along with a printed circuit and a remote-controlled trigger device. Officials later said the charge was relatively weak.

Thirteen people were wounded in the explosion - eight women, four men and a 10-year-old girl - of whom 11 needed hospital treatment. The authorities said some of those hurt needed surgery to remove shrapnel but the injuries were not life-threatening.

France has been on high alert following a wave of deadly militant terror attacks since 2015, which have killed more than 250 people.

The Islamic State in Iraq and Syria group has been behind many of the attacks. No one has claimed responsibility for the Lyon blast. </s> Lyon: French police have arrested a suspect over an explosion in the heart of the southeastern city of Lyon last week that injured 13 people, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said on Monday.

Police had been hunting for a man seen cycling near the scene of the blast who was wearing a green T-shirt and Bermuda shorts, and a carrying a dark rucksack.

The Paris prosecutor's office, which has jurisdiction over terrorist investigations in France, confirmed that the man, a 24-year-old arrested in Lyon, is the suspected bomber.

He had been the target of an extensive manhunt since Friday night when an explosive device filled with screws and ball bearings was placed in front of a bakery near the corner of two crowded pedestrian streets in the historic centre of Lyon.

Police circulated photos of the suspect on Twitter, leading to "several dozen" calls from people with information.

Sources close to the investigation suspected the explosive was acetone peroxide, or APEX, a volatile compound used in the deadly Paris attacks on November 13, 2015.

Investigators recovered small screws, ball bearings and batteries along with a printed circuit and a remote-controlled trigger device. Officials later said the charge was relatively weak.

Thirteen people were wounded in the blast - eight women, four men and a 10-year-old girl - of whom 11 needed hospital treatment.

None of their injuries are believed to be life-threatening, but authorities said some needed surgery to remove shrapnel.

France has been on high alert following a wave of deadly jihadist terror attacks since 2015 which have killed more than 250 people.

Daesh has been behind many of the attacks, though no one has claimed responsibility for the Lyon blast. </s> Lyon: French police arrested four people on Monday over a package bomb explosion in the heart of the southeastern city of Lyon last week which injured 13 people, authorities said.

 A police raid was under way in a building in the Oullins suburb just south of the city, a few hours after the arrest of the suspected bomber, a 24-year-old Algerian IT student.

 The man’s parents were later arrested and taken in for questioning, as was a second student of Algerian nationality who is a family relation, according the Paris prosecutor’s office, which has jurisdiction over terrorism cases in France.

 The suspect was previously unknown to police, Lyon’s Mayor Gerard Collomb said.

 He was arrested as he got off a bus, calmly putting his hands in the air when he spotted officers approaching, Collomb said.

 The man’s sister has also been questioned but she has not been arrested, prosecutors added.

 Police had been searching for a man seen cycling near the scene of the blast wearing a green top and Bermuda shorts and carrying a dark-coloured rucksack.

 He has been the target of an extensive manhunt since late Friday when an explosive device filled with screws and ball bearings was placed in front of a bakery near the corner of two crowded pedestrian streets in the historic centre of Lyon.

 Police circulated photos of the suspect on Twitter, which they said led to “several dozen” calls from people with information.

 Sources close to the investigation said the explosive was most likely acetone peroxide, or APEX, a volatile compound used in the deadly Paris terror attacks of November 13, 2015.

 Investigators recovered small screws, ball bearings and batteries along with a printed circuit board and a remote-controlled trigger device. Officials later said the charge was relatively weak.

 Thirteen people were wounded in the blast — eight women, four men and a 10-year-old girl — of whom 11 needed hospital treatment.

 None of their injuries are believed to be life-threatening, though authorities said some needed surgery to remove shrapnel. — AFP </s> PARIS: French police have arrested four suspects following a blast in Lyon that injured 13 people.TV footage showed a police operation under way on Monday in a small town outside Lyon involving officers wearing ski masks. Police had launched a large manhunt after a device exploded on Friday on a busy pedestrian street in France’s third-largest city.

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner announced the first arrest on Twitter, a development later confirmed by Paris prosecutors, who handle terrorism-related cases. The prosecutors’ office later said three other suspects, including a woman, were detained. According to French media, they included the mother and the brother of the main suspect.

Lyon mayor Gerard Collomb, a former interior minister, said one of the suspects is an IT student who was arrested as he stepped off a bus. “It’s a relief for all Lyon inhabitants. I believe the case has been resolved,” Collomb told BFM TV. “If there was a network, it has been identified and will certainly be dismantled.”

French President Emmanuel Macron has called the explosion an “attack” but no group has claimed responsibility. An investigation has been opened for “attempted murder in relation with a terrorist undertaking”.

Last week, France’s counter-terrorism prosecutor, Remy Heitz, described video surveillance that showed a suspect heading towards the centre of Lyon on a bicycle on Friday afternoon. The man was seen arriving on foot, pushing his bike along a pedestrian-only street, then leaving a paper bag on a concrete block in the middle of the street near a bakery.

The suspect immediately returned to his bike and left the same way. One minute later, the explosion shattered the glass of a refrigerator in the bakery, Heitz said. Regional authorities said the 13 wounded suffered mostly minor injuries.

It was unclear whether the suspect first arrested on Monday was the same person, although Collomb said the detained student was identified thanks to video surveillance. Investigators at the scene have found screws, ball bearings, batteries, a triggering device that can be used remotely and plastic pieces that may have come from the explosive device.

France has been hit by a spate of attacks in recent years, some of them deadly, carried out by people ranging from extremist attackers to mentally unstable individuals.
French police arrest four people in connection with last Friday's bombing in Lyon's historic city center that injured 13 people. Anti-terrorist prosecutors are leading the investigation. District mayor Denis Broliquier said the bomb was a relatively weak explosive that was too small to kill. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.