(The New York Times posted the following article by Craig S. Smith on its website on March 24.)
PARIS — A bomb was discovered on a rail line in northeastern France on Wednesday, the second explosive device found since an obscure terrorist group called A.Z.F. began threatening in December to attack France’s railroads unless it was paid millions of dollars.
The bomb, which was neutralized by a bomb squad, was found by a railroad employee who “noticed something unusual” while making his normal rounds, a spokeswoman with the S.N.C.F., the national rail company, told Reuters. It was half buried between the rails near the town of Montieramey, on the line linking Paris with the Swiss city of Basel, France’s Interior Ministry said in a statement.
The discovery comes amid growing terrorist threats from various groups, causing France to increase security at home and at outposts abroad. It also comes as anxiety over the safety of rail travel in Europe has been heightened by the train bombings in Madrid this month. President Jacques Chirac was in Madrid on Wednesday to attend a memorial Mass for the victims of the attack.
The Interior Ministry said in its statement that the bomb was found at about noon 120 miles southeast of Paris, between the Troyes and Vendeuvre train stations. The bomb contained nitrate fuel in a plastic container with seven detonators attached to a timing device. The statement said one wire on the device was disconnected.
The ministry called an emergency meeting of police, intelligence and other security officials late Wednesday. Officials could not be reached for comment.
A.Z.F. began threatening to attack the railways in mid-December, demanding more than $5 million to prevent an attack. To back up its claim, A.Z.F. directed authorities last month to a hidden railway bomb that also contained nitrate fuel in a plastic container that was attached to detonators.
The Interior Ministry’s statement said that the circumstances of the latest bomb’s discovery “did not correspond to what was in the letters signed by A.Z.F.” It did not elaborate and Interior Ministry officials declined to comment.