France school where teacher was fatally stabbed evacuated over bomb alert

The suspect, identified by prosecutors as Mohamed M, was arrested. One of the attackers' brothers was also detained nearby. The attacker was on a state watchlist of people known as a potential security risk, a police source told the news agency.

Reuters reported on Monday that following the bomb alert, teachers and students left the building as they had come to pay tributes to Bernard. As a police bomb squad arrived, teachers and students gathered in the courtyard of a building opposite their school as civil protection personnel comforted them.

Tributes were also paid to the teacher on Sunday and people could be seen laying down roses at the school. "The educational community must be united, so it was important to be there. A large part of our school will be there today to pay tribute to a colleague," Celine Cailleret, a teacher for students with learning difficulties, told the news agency.

"We will be strong, united, to continue to transmit beautiful values to our students," Cailleret added.

The French government placed the country on its highest state of alert. President Emmanuel Macron condemned the killing as "barbaric Islamic terrorism." On Monday, President Macron shared a message on X to students and teachers by saying, "If I'm speaking to you, it is to assure you all that we stand with you."

"We will always counter blind hatred with the inextinguishable thirst to teach. The thirst to learn. The thirst to live freely," he added.

According to Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin, the Arras attack bore a link to events in the Middle East, where Israel is conducting a military offensive to root out Hamas fighters after their deadly attack on October 7.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE