French police release image of Lyon bombing suspect

French police have released an image of a bombing suspect after seven people were injured in a "low force" blast in Lyon.

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تاریخ: ۰۴ خرداد ۱۳۹۸ - ۰۹:۳۵

An anti-terrorism investigation was launched after the attack at a Brioche Doree bakery at roughly 5.30pm local time (4.30pm BST).

Denis Broliquier, the mayor of Lyon's second district, told French media that a man was captured on surveillance cameras dropping a sack or suitcase before it exploded.

Some victims suffered leg wounds but no injuries were life-threatening, authorities said.

The attack in the city's central Presqu'ile area came as the country prepared to vote in the European elections.

President Emmanuel Macron called the explosion an "attack" during a live interview about the elections on Friday.

A man who lives above the bakery told French news channel BFMTV the noise from the explosion was "deafening".

He said a window shattered and there was some debris on the street.

Soldiers secured the area around where the blast took place.

French police shared a photo on Twitter of a suspect wearing dark glasses, with his face covered while pushing a bicycle.

Mr Broliquier told BFMTV the suspect arrived minutes after the explosion, and added: "What I saw was a refrigerated cooler in the Brioche Doree, whose windows had been shattered. It was the windows... that superficially injured the people who were 1, 2 or 3 metres (yards) away."

He added: "But the fridge itself wasn't that damaged, which means the device had low force."

Mr Broliquier continued: "It's not the apocalypse... there's no danger. There's no risk."

The mayor and Mr Macron sent their sympathies to the injured, some of whom were taken to hospital.

Authorities would not confirm French media reports that the blast was caused by an exploding package.

The women's World Cup football tournament is scheduled to start in France on 7 June, and Lyon will host the semi-finals and then the final on 7 July.

Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said in a tweet that he has sent instructions for Lyon authorities to strengthen "the security of public sites and sporting, cultural and religious events".

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe cancelled an appearance at a European elections-related meeting in Paris due to the explosion.

France has seen a spate of attacks in recently years, some of them deadly, carried out by people ranging from terrorists to mentally unstable individuals.

Five people were killed in an attack on the Christmas Market in Strasbourg, eastern France, on 11 December.

The alleged attacker Cherif Chekat, who was killed by police, had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State terror group.