The home of a police officer in Auch, southwestern France, was completely destroyed by a fire that authorities suspect was deliberately started. The fire broke out on Saturday, November 7, and the house burned down despite the intervention of firefighters.
Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said that everything pointed to an “intolerable criminal act” committed because of the officer’s profession. “All necessary means will be used to identify those responsible and bring them to justice,” he said.
So far, the authorities have not reported any arrests or officially identified a suspect. The investigation will determine how the fire started, who was behind it and whether the attack was specifically directed against the officer.
Possible link to anti-drug operation being investigated
The local newspaper “La Semaine des Pyrénées” reported that police unions were considering the possibility of retaliation following a drug-related arrest operation in the Gers department. However, this link has not been confirmed by the investigating authorities.
The trade unions UN1TÉ 65, UN1TÉ 64 and UN1TÉ Zone Sud condemned the attack and expressed their support for the police officer and his family. They called for the perpetrators to be identified and held accountable.
Sources: marketscreener.com, lasemainedespyrenees.fr