Weapon Found near Paris Synagogue, 300 Evacuated

Approximately 300 people were evacuated Saturday evening from an area near a synagogue in the Paris suburb of Sarcelles after a suspicious vehicle was discovered nearby. Police found a military weapon inside it, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said.

The circumstances of the case, the motive and the suspect's identity are not yet known. Police are investigating. Nuñez said that authorities had been extremely vigilant, and he praised the security forces' response, describing their intervention as remarkable.

The car had likely been stolen. Sarcelles is a multicultural Paris suburb with a large Jewish community.

(Reuters, im)