 On Monday morning, a school in France underwent an evacuation following a bomb threat made by phone, as reported by the news agency AFP. This incident occurred just a few days after a teacher at the same school lost their life in a knife attack, an event that the French government has characterized as an "Islamist terror attack."
In response to the bomb threat, the combined middle and high school in Arras saw dozens of staff and students leaving the premises around 10:30 a.m.
On the previous Friday, a teacher at Lycee Gambetta High School had been fatally stabbed by a former student named Mohamed M. During the knife attack, three other individuals also sustained injuries.
Following the stabbing, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin announced that France had elevated its state of alert to the highest level, emphasizing the connection between the Arras attack and the ongoing events in the Middle East, where Israel is engaged in a military campaign to counter Hamas after their violent rampage.
The investigation into the incident was assigned to the anti-terrorism prosecutor's office. Numerous witnesses reported hearing the attacker shouting "Allahu Akbar," according to prosecutor Jean-Francois Ricard, as cited by Reuters.
The attacker had been included on a state watchlist of individuals considered potential security risks, according to a police source mentioned by Reuters. Although this list comprises thousands of names, only a limited number are actively monitored.
In the wake of this incident, there has been a growing demand for enhanced security measures in schools. The French government has already implemented heightened security measures and deployed 7,000 troops.
French President Emmanuel Macron instructed ministers to "embody a state that is ruthless towards all those who harbor hate and terrorist ideologies," as conveyed by a senior aide to reporters. Macron later emphasized the role of schools as a "bulwark" against extremism and as "a sanctuary for our pupils and everyone who works there" in a statement shared on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
