5th Bomb Found in Paris; Special Measures Taken at Schools

The fifth bomb planted in France in six weeks was found Monday inside a Paris public toilet, increasing suspicions that more than one group may be responsible.

Special measures were instituted for children returning to school after summer holidays. Premier Alain Juppe said security would be tightened throughout France.

The 55-pound bomb was timed to go off at the same time as a bomb that injured four people Sunday at an open-air market near the Place de la Bastille, according to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The bomb found Monday, hidden in a box, also was placed near an outdoor market. It was discovered by a maintenance worker.

The bomb, made with a gas canister, was similar to two devices that have exploded since July, killing seven people and injuring about 100, officials said. A bomb found unexploded beside a high-speed train track Aug. 26 also was made with a gas canister.

There have been no credible claims of responsibility for the wave of terror. But those behind the bombings are less than efficient: The last three of the five bombs have been defective.

French authorities appear convinced that Algerian extremists were behind the July 25 subway bombing, which killed seven people, and the Aug. 17 bombing near the Arc de Triomphe, which left more than a dozen people injured. They are questioning whether the three failed bombs since then are linked.

Juppe said he planned to meet today with Interior Minister Jean-Louis Debre to discuss new security measures.