Franco-Swiss airport temporarily evacuated for security reasons after arson attacks disrupt French rail network

A Franco-Swiss airport was temporarily evacuated for security reasons on Friday hours after arson attacks "sabotaged" the French rail network ahead of the Paris Olympics opening ceremony.

EuroAirport, located on the French side of the border near Basel, posted on its website that it had reopened and flight operations were gradually restarting. Earlier, the Basel-Mulhouse airport said it had been evacuated and closed "for safety reasons", news agency AFP reported.

Meanwhile, The Guardian reported that Eurostar passengers travelling from London to Paris on Friday were asked to postpone their trips if possible.

Several trains were delayed and cancelled after arson attacks on high-speed rail lines hours before the start of the Olympics. French authorities were hunting for the perpetrators of arson attacks, which disrupted travel for hundreds of thousands of people.

French rail operator SNCF said three night-time arson attacks had destroyed cabling boxes at strategic junctions around its network in the north, south-west, and east of Paris. A fourth attempted act of vandalism southeast of the capital was thwarted by rail workers who spotted intruders in the early hours of Friday, AFP reported.

"Our intelligence services and law enforcement are mobilised to find and punish the perpetrators of these criminal acts," France Prime Minister Gabriel Attal posted on X, calling the attacks “prepared and coordinated acts of sabotage." He said rail attacks targeted three main routes to Paris and aimed to "block the high-speed train network".

Lakhs of people will likely be affected by the attacks. French Transport Minister Patrice Vergriete said in a post on X, "Coordinated malicious acts targeted several TGV lines last night and will seriously disrupt traffic until this weekend".

"I strongly condemn these criminal actions which will compromise the vacation departures of many French people. A big thank you to the #SNCF teams, on the bridge to restore traffic conditions as quickly as possible," he added.

The Paris Olympics opening ceremony will be held Friday evening.

(With inputs from agencies)