Police arrest two more over attempted attack on US bank HQ in Paris

PARIS: French police on Monday arrested two more people over an apparent bid to set off a homemade explosive device outside a Bank of America branch in Paris, bringing the total in custody to five, prosecutors said.

The arrests follow an incident early Saturday morning when police arrested a first suspect after he placed a device outside the US financial institution near the Champs-Elysees.

The two individuals detained on Monday are adults, according to a source following the case, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The national anti-terror prosecutor’s office (PNAT) told AFP that the three minors arrested over the weekend in connection with the case had their detentions extended.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez suggested on Saturday that the war in the Middle East might have motivated the attempted attack.

The suspect who placed the device was accompanied by a second person, who appeared to be taking photos and videos with a mobile phone but fled when police arrived.

The device contained five litres of liquid (nearly nine imperial pints) believed to be fuel and an ignition system, a source close to the investigation said.