Afghan group stages Paris bomb scare

A group demanding France withdraw its troops from Afghanistan said it planted dynamite found at a major Paris department store today.

Sticks of “relatively old” dynamite tied together but without a detonator were found in the Printemps store, a favourite shopping destination for tourists, and a Christmas attraction because of its festive window displays.

Police said five sticks of explosives were found in the third floor toilet of the menswear department.

French news agency Agence France-Presse said it received a letter from a group calling itself the Afghan Revolutionary Front saying that several bombs had been planted in the store.

Interior Minister Michele Alliot-Marie said the group was “totally unknown” to police but that the claim was being studied.

In the letter, the group demanded the withdrawal of French troops from Afghanistan before the end of February, and threatened attacks if France refuses.