One hurt in letter bomb blast at IMF Paris office
AFP
PARIS: A letter bomb exploded at the Paris offices of the International Monetary Fund on Thursday, injuring a secretary who suffered burns to her hands and face, police said, reports AFP.
Employees were evacuated from the building near the Arc de Triomphe monument in the heart of the capital as a precaution after the late morning explosion, a police source said.
IMF chief Christine Lagarde condemned it as a cowardly act of violence.
She reaffirmed the IMFs resolve to continue our work in line with our mandate, according to a statement issued by her office.
We are working closely with the French authorities to investigate this incident and ensure the safety of our staff.
French President Francois Hollande called it an attack, saying it showed that we are still targeted.
The victim, a secretary for an unnamed senior manager, suffered light burns from the blast which might have been caused by a firework, a police source told AFP, asking not to be named.
Armed police and soldiers were seen securing the area around the IMF offices.
France has been the victim of a series of deadly attacks by Islamic extremists since 2015.
Although no link has been established at this stage, a Greek far-left group claimed Thursday that it had sent a parcel bomb to the German finance ministry in Berlin, more than six years after waging a similar campaign targeting European officials.
