1995 France bombings

Coordinates: 48°51′13″N 2°20′42″E / 48.8537°N 2.3449°E / 48.8537; 2.3449
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1995 France bombings
Part of
Algerian government during the Algerian Civil War
ConvictedRachid Ramda

A series of attacks targeted public transport systems in Paris and Lyon, as well as a school in Villeurbanne, in 1995. They were carried out by the Armed Islamic Group of Algeria (GIA), who sought to expand the Algerian Civil War to France. The attacks killed eight people, all during the first attack on 25 July. The attack also injured 190 people.

The assassination of

terrorist campaign in France.[1]

Attacks

On 25 July 1995 a gas bottle exploded in the

Parvis Notre-Dame became a helicopter landing site and a nearby café, Le depart Saint-Michel, was used as a field hospital. At 8:00 that evening, national news on France 2 announced that four people had been killed and another 40 injured in a "mysterious explosion". At that time, no official sources had confirmed that it was a terrorist attack.[2] This was only confirmed later, and the final outcome was said to be eight deaths and 117 injured.[3] It was the deadliest terror attack in France since the 1983 Orly Airport attack, and would be the only deadly attack for the GIA's 1995 bombing campaign in France.[citation needed
]

On 17 August, a second bomb hidden in a public bin near the Arc de Triomphe wounded 16 people. The bomb was composed of a gas bottle filled with nails.[4]

On 26 August a huge bomb was found on the railway tracks of a

Jewish school in Villeurbanne, a town near Lyon, causing thirteen injuries.[6]

The wanted suspect, Khaled Kelkal, was killed on 29 September by members of the French

convert to Islam.[8]

On 17 October a gas bottle exploded between the Musée d'Orsay and Saint-Michel–Notre-Dame stations of RER Line C, wounding 29. Investigators found a transportation card on Smaïn Aït Ali Belkacem used a few minutes before the attack in a nearby underground station.[9]

Additional bombs were found and cleared without casualties during morning searches of Metro and RER stations, often in public toilets. Increased security required the removal of all public bins, to prevent bombs from being hidden inside.[citation needed]

Arrests and trials

Members of the

extradited to France on 1 December 2005 in connection with the bombings.[11] On 26 October 2007 Ramda was sentenced to life in prison for financing the attacks.[12]

According to

Haninge, Sweden.[13]

Aftermath

Algerian secret services.[14]

Legislation on terrorism in France was reinforced with a new law in 1996, allowing police forces to perform searches at night.

Schengen Acquis which allows free movement across borders within Europe, keeping the restrictions in place until March 1996.[16]

Algerian president in 1999.[18]

See also

Notes and references

  1. ^ "Rachid Ramda jugé pour l'ultime procès des attentats de 1995", in Libération, 1 October 2007 read on-line (in French)
  2. ^ France 2 News, July, 25th 1994 on INA website
  3. ^ Julien Lariège, Islamistes algériens au cœur de l'Europe, Ellipses, 2005, p. 113
  4. ^ France 2 News, 17 August 1994 on INA website
  5. ^ Hassane Zerrouky, "Attentats de 1995: comment le GIA a tissé sa toile", L’Humanité, 1 June 1999
  6. ISBN 9781351482165
    .
  7. ^ Franck, Johannes; Fromentin, Bernard. "La bande-son de la fin de Khaled Kelkal". Liberation. Retrieved 5 April 2020.
  8. ^ Christophe Ayad et Franck Johannes, "Au lendemain de l'explosion d'une bombe à Paris, un message attribué au Groupe islamique armé dénonce le soutien français au régime d'Alger Un texte signé du GIA revendique la vague d'attentats et prône le 'jihad' en France", Libération, 9 October 1995
  9. ^ Sophie Bouniot, "Des dénégations absurdes face aux preuves irréfutables" [archive], humanite.fr, 24 October 2002
  10. ^ "Terrorism and the law: The non-trial". The Economist, 20 October 2005.
  11. ^ UK sends back Metro bomb accused, BBC, 1 December 2005 (in English)
  12. ^ French court convicts Algerian of Paris bombings[dead link]
  13. ^ Petersson, Claes (13 July 2005). "Terrorbas i Sverige" (in Swedish). Aftonbladet. Archived from the original on 6 December 2006. Retrieved 3 March 2007.
  14. ^ Une politique de l’oubli. La mémoire de la guerre en France et en Algérie, Le sociographe, number 46, June 2014, pp. 85–95
  15. ^ Laurent Bonelli, "Les caractéristiques de l'antiterrorisme français: "Parer les coups plutôt que panser les plaies"", http://www.lemonde.fr, 11 September 2008
  16. ^ Jean Quatremer, "Jacques Chirac verrouille les frontières françaises. L'entrée en vigueur de Schengen serait repoussée.", Libération, 20 September 1995
  17. ^ Matthieu Suc, "Vigipirate : la permanence d’un état d’exception", Le Monde, 7 September 2015
  18. ^ Guy Pervillé, "Vingt ans après 1995: les attentats de Paris, Lyon et Lille reconsidérés", http://www.lefigaro.fr, 24 July 2015
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