French police stop attempted bomb attack outside of Bank of America building in Paris

French police foiled a suspected bomb attack early Saturday outside a Bank of America office in central Paris, arresting a man moments after he allegedly planted a homemade explosive device, police said.

Officers intervened around 3:30 a.m. and detained the suspect shortly after he placed the device near the building’s entrance. 

According to an initial police assessment, the device contained several liters of a liquid believed to be fuel, along with roughly 23 ounces of explosive powder and an ignition mechanism, reports said.

The materials have been sent to a police forensics laboratory for further analysis.

The office was closed at the time of the incident, and no injuries were reported, the bank said. The building is located in Paris’s upscale 8th arrondissement, just a short distance from the Champs-Élysées.

France’s National Anti-Terrorist Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that a suspect is in custody and said an investigation is underway. Authorities have not yet released details about a possible motive.