Algerians Tied to Paris Blast, Police Say
PARIS — Police investigating Paris’ second terrorist bombing of the summer said Saturday that a little-known group of Algerian militants claimed responsibility for the blast near the Arc de Triomphe--as well as last month’s subway explosion.
The radio station RTL said a caller speaking in the name of the “GIA general command” claimed it carried out Thursday’s attack that wounded 17 people--mostly tourists--near the famed arch.
Police sources said they could not authenticate the claim, made late Friday, but were taking it seriously. They disclosed for the first time that the station received two similar claims after the July 25 bombing that killed seven people and wounded 84 in a Paris subway.
The “GIA general command” is a new name, but authorities believe it may be an offshoot of the Armed Islamic Group, known by its French initials, GIA, which has been trying to topple the military-backed Algerian government and establish Islamic rule.
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