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Ten airports across France evacuated following ‘bomb threats’ as Europe on high terror alert
AIRPORTS across France have been forced to evacuate after receiving bomb threats as Europe remains on high terror alert.
The airports of Lille, Lyon, Nice, Nantes, Paris Beauvais Tillé and Toulouse have been forced to close after they all received bomb warnings this morning.
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An evacuation is underway at the airports of Biarritz, Rennes, Strasbourg and Bordeaux-Merignac following similar warnings
It comes as Europe is on high terror alert following recent deadly attacks in Belgium and France.
A security services source said airports in Lille, Nice, Lyon and Toulouse received phone threats "at around 10am on Wednesday and acted upon".
Travellers were told to evacuate terminals, while bomb disposal experts supported by sniffer dogs looked for explosives.
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The French Civil Aviation Authority says no planes are taking off from airports in Toulouse, Lille, and Lyon.
Staff at the Lille airport in northern France said passengers are being evacuated due to the scare.
The airport said: "State security teams are on site."
An evacuation at Paris Beauvais Airport is underway after a bomb threat was emailed to staff.
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By midday, there were no reports of any explosions, suggesting all the warnings were a hoax.
It comes as tensions continue to rise in the Middle East:
- A strike on a hospital in Gaza in Lebanon
- Chilling images show the house where a Brit girl was killed by Hamas
- A Hamas top terror commander was killed in an Israeli airstrike
- Europe is on terror alert after Belgium and France attacks
- The mum of an Israeli hostage begged the world "help bring my baby home" after sickening video of her in captivity
- Iran warned Israel it will be "eradicated" after pre-emptive strike threat
A fake bomb threat email was also sent to Manchester Airport last night forcing flights to be diverted as a plane from Dubai was held.
Police rushed to the scene over claims of a "suspicious package" - but it's not known whether the hoax is linked to the threats in France.
The airport closures in France follow a series of almost daily similar warnings including one at the Palace of Versailles on Tuesday.
Hundreds of visitors were led out of the historic site near Paris as a specialist police explosives unit was dispatched.
By late afternoon the palace, which attracts 15,000 visitors a day, was reopened and a security cordon was lifted.
The same thing happened on Saturday when the palace was again cleared and closed after receiving a message suggesting there was a security risk.
Paris' Louvre Museum, which has 30,000 visitors daily, was also evacuated after receiving a threatening message last Saturday.
France remains on its highest state of alert after a teacher was stabbed to death by a knifeman earlier in the week who shouted "Allahu Akbar".
Dominique Bernard, 57, was brutally killed by the fanatic after former Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal called for a "Day of Jihad" following the ongoing bloodshed in Israel.
Meanwhile, thousands of England rugby fans are due in Paris at the weekend for their side’s World Cup semi-final against South Africa.
Emergency security measures introduced to keep such visitors safe include 7000 soldiers being placed on the street.
French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said the Israel-Hamas War in the Middle East was increasing tensions across the world, including in France.
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Another horrific attack in Belgium saw two men killed near a football stadium in Brussels before cops shot dead suspected ISIS gunman Abdesalem Lassoued, 45.
The victims, both wearing Sweden football shirts - were killed moments before their team's Euro 2024 qualifier match against Belgium.
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