French anti-terrorist police arrest 8 for sabotaging train lines

Paris: Eight people have been arrested by French anti-terrorist police for allegedly sabotaging power cables on high speed TGV train lines, the interior ministry said on Tuesday.

The eight, part of an "anarcho-autonomous" movement, were under surveillance for several months by domestic intelligence services and anti-terrorist police.

Power was cut on several TGV lines around Paris causing severe delays.

The government and management of France's national rail operator SNCF said on Sunday that the stunts, which did not threaten the safety of passengers, appear to have been coordinated acts of sabotage and could only have been done by someone familiar with working with high tension power cables.

The case was formally transferred to anti-terrorist police services on Monday.