Today's Date:

In the past few days, reports have been circulating in the press of a blackmail operation conducted by a group threatening to commit terrorist attacks. For obvious security reasons, the Ministry of the Interior, Internal Security and Local Freedoms requested the media, including in writing on 2 March, not to make this information public. One newspaper nevertheless took the initiative of publishing it, moreover including many errors. Under these circumstances, the Ministry wishes to state the following two facts.

It is true that a group using the acronym AZF and calling itself a "terrorist pressure group" has sent several letters demanding a substantial sum of money in return for neutralizing several bombs it claims to have planted, particularly under railway tracks.

It is true that on 2 February information from the group led to the discovery of an explosive device buried under the railway track at Folles in Haute-Vienne, and that this device, following expert examination and tests, proved dangerous since it was capable of breaking a rail.

All the police and gendarmerie services are actively working on this case. They are doing so with one imperative: the safety of the French. They wish to work discreetly in order to give themselves the maximum chances of success./.