Fibre optic networks ‘sabotaged’ in several parts of France

Police say fiber optic networks ‘sabotaged’ in parts of France

In another incident of sabotage, parts of France reported the sabotage to fiber optic networks this Monday, July 29—only a few days after the weekend incident disrupted the high-speed train network. Police said in a report by news agency AFP that sabotage has been reported on the fiber optic networks of several telecommunication operators in six areas across France.

This happened at a time when most cities in France were hosting events related to the 2024 Paris Olympics. Whether Olympic activities were affected is not yet clear.

The secretary of state for digital affairs, Marina Ferrari, told the press that there was damage late Saturday night to Sunday in some regions. But it occurred overnight into Monday and is affecting many telecommunications operators. As a result, there were localized service disruptions to the operators' users of fiber-line access, fixed phones, and mobile-phone services. A French police official said at least six administrative departments had been hit, notably the region around Marseille, which is hosting the Olympic soccer and sailing events. Bouygues and Free, the telecom firms, acknowledged that there were disruptances in their services. According to reports, the lines belonging to SFR also suffered from the attacks. The parent company of Free issued a statement reporting that its repair teams are involved in restoring services.

That was followed by a spate of attacks this week on the TGV network in France, days before the opening ceremony. The trio of arson attacks singled out key points of the rail infrastructure on Friday morning. The attackers remain unknown, and it is unclear if they had meant the timing to coincide with the opening ceremony. Repairs were made over the weekend, and gradually the train network was back to full operation.

Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete said the attacks had impacted 800,000 travelers, adding that "in the end 700,000 managed to make their trips," with only 100,000 passengers left stranded by the canceled trains. Security on the 28,000 kilometers (17,400 miles) of high-speed train lines was increased, including the placement of 50 drones, 250 agents specialized in rail security, and 1,000 workers specialized in rail maintenance.

French Police Arrest Ultra-Left Activist Following Sabotage

French authorities have arrested an activist from an ultra-left-wing movement at an SNCF rail site, days after sabotage attacks disrupted the network, AFP reported.

The activist was detained in Oissel, northern France, on July 28. He had access keys to SNCF technical areas, tools, and ultra-left literature, according to sources who wished to remain anonymous. On July 29, fiber optic cables were sabotaged in several parts of France, AFP reported.