The Paris Saint-Germain team were about to play Bordeaux in the 16th arrondissement of Paris when an Improvised Explosive Device was found close to the stadium. The homemade bomb consisted of four gas cylinders that had been soaked in gasoline. The incident happened on Saturday morning, but news has only now been released by police.
As reported by the Metro, among the five people who have been taken into custody by Paris police since the discovery, one was a terror suspect who was allegedly under surveillance.
Around 50,000 people attended the football game later on Saturday, while among the players was Neymar, considered the world’s most expensive footballer.
Four gas cylinders linked to a cell phone found near stadium
A police source said the improvised explosive device consisted of four gas cylinders, soaked in gasoline and linked to a cell phone that would have ignited them, causing an explosion. The statement said a local resident in a nearby building had called police just before 4:30 a.m. Saturday to report the find.
French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said among the five suspects arrested at the scene, one had clear Islamist links, but none of the suspects have yet been formally identified.
Police reportedly withheld news of the discovery to allow them to carry out various raids in the city.
Terror attacks in November 2015 included a football stadium
This isn’t the first time terrorists have targeted a football game in Paris, as during the series of terror attacks in the city in November 2015, three suicide bombers had targeted the Stade de France during a game. Those attacks included the deadly shooting at the Bataclan concert hall on November 13 that year, where three armed gunmen killed 90 people, critically injuring others.
Terror threat level still high in France
According to a report by France 24, the Terror Threat Level in France remains high, after a series of terrorist attacks have occurred in the country since January 2015.
Since the discovery of the homemade bomb, a further attack in Marseille on Sunday saw two women stabbed to death at the railway station in the city. The terrorist, who was heard to shout "Allahu Akbar" ("God is greatest") as he attacked the women. Soldiers shot the terror suspect dead at the scene.
France24 reports that with the stabbing incident, the number of victims killed in terror attacks in France in recent years has now risen to 241.
In a recent, non-terror related incident in Marseilles, four U.S. tourists were sprayed with acid by a woman who was said to be suffering from mental illness.