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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
World
Anthony Cuthbertson

Two men and woman held over 'paper bag bomb' in Lyon

A bomb disposal expert works at the scene of a suspected package bomb blast along a pedestrian street in the heart of Lyon, southeast France, on 24 May, 2019 ( AFP/Getty Images )

Two men and a woman have been arrested after a suspected parcel bomb injured 13 people in Lyon last week.

The blast went off outside a bakery on a pedestrian street in the French city's historic city centre on Friday afternoon. 

Police launched a manhunt after a man wearing a balaclava and rucksack was seen fleeing the scene on a bicycle.

CCTV shows a man arriving on foot, pushing his bike along a pedestrian-only street, then leaving a paper bag on a concrete block in the middle of the street near a bakery.

The suspect immediately returned to his bike and left by the same path before the blast a minute later, according to French authorities.

Those who were hurt suffered mainly minor injuries.

Investigators at the scene later found screws, ball bearings, batteries, a triggering device that can be used remotely and plastic that may have come from the device.

Lyon mayor Gerard Collomb, a former interior minister, said one of the suspects is an IT student who was arrested as he stepped off a bus.

"It's a relief for all Lyon inhabitants. I believe the case has been resolved," Mr Collomb told BFM TV. "If there was a network, it has been identified and will certainly be dismantled."

President Emmanuel Macron called the explosion an "attack" but no group has claimed responsibility.

An investigation has been opened for "attempted murder in relation with a terrorist undertaking".

France has been hit by a spate of attacks in recent years.

More than 250 people have been killed since 2015 and the country remains on high alert.

Additional reporting from agencies

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