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> 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> 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 police have arrested a 24-year old man suspected of being behind last week’s bomb blast in the central city of Lyon that injured 13 people.

French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner announced the arrest on Twitter, but did not provide further details on the suspect or where he was arrested.

READ MORE: Number of injured rises to 13 as police search for suspect

Security camera footage of the incident showed the partially masked suspect wheeling a bicycle to the scene, before leaving a bag outside a branch of a popular bakery chain.

The case is being handled as a terrorism investigation given the circumstances of the attack, committed in broad daylight, and the use of an explosive device capable of hitting a large number of people with screws and metal balls packed into a bag.

The anti-terrorism unit of the Paris prosecutors’ office, which is handling the investigation, added that a 24-year-old man was arrested Monday morning in Lyon and placed in custody.

DNA traces were found on the remains of the parcel, according to a source close to the investigation.

Another source said the judicial police arrested the suspect on the street after having after tailed him.

They decided not to arrest him at his apartment, the source said, for fear that there could still be some triacetone triperoxide or TATP, the powerful but unstable homemade explosive that was used in the 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> 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 (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> A package blast on a pedestrian street in the heart of France’s city of Lyon wounded several people Friday, officials said, just two days ahead of the country’s hotly contested European Parliament elections.

President Emmanuel Macron called the blast an “attack” during a live Facebook interview, adding that no deaths had been reported “for the time being”.

The area where the explosion occurred, on a narrow strip of land between the Saone and Rhone rivers in the historic centre of the southeast city, was evacuated and cordoned off by police, according to AFP journalists at the scene.

A police source told AFP the package contained “screws or bolts” and had been placed in front of a bakery near a busy corner of two popular streets.

A man apparently in his early 30s who was spotted near the scene shortly before the attack was being sought by police, a source close to the inquiry said.

Police said eight people were wounded but none of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening.

Macron, in his Facebook interview, said: “It’s not for me to give a toll but it appears there are no fatalities. There have been injuries, so obviously I’m thinking of these injured and their families.”

“An eight-year-old girl was wounded…. We’re fairly relieved because apparently there were no serious injuries but on the other hand, we are certain it was an explosive device,” said Denis Broliquier, mayor of the city’s Second Arrondissement.

He said the suspect sought by police had been seen on video surveillance cameras.

“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 site of the blast.

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

A terrorism probe has been opened by the Paris prosecutor’s office, which has jurisdiction over all terror cases in the country.

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

“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 a long-running anti-terror operation, he said.

Lyon is the third-biggest city in France. The population of the city plus its extensive suburbs is 2.3 million.

The most recent package bomb in France dates back to December 2007, when an explosion in front of a law office in Paris killed one person and injured another. Police never found who carried out that attack.
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.