There have been reports of a suspect vehicle at the Stade de France, where hosts France are due to play Iceland in their Euro 2016 quarter-final.
According to Guardian journalist Jonathan Wilson, access to the media area of the stadium was blocked, while Paul Hayward of the Daily Telegraph reports that police have been preparing to carry out a controlled explosion.
Halted outside the Stade de France. Suspect vehicle. Controlled explosion pending say police pic.twitter.com/fVuBEdojuI
— Paul Hayward (@_PaulHayward) July 3, 2016
Controlled explosion near the Stade de France 5.32pm Paris time. Loud enough to sound like an uncontrolled one.
— Paul Hayward (@_PaulHayward) July 3, 2016
The Stade de France was targeted during last year’s terror attacks in Paris. An explosive device was detonated outside the national stadium during the friendly match between France and Germany, killing three people.
Authorities in the French capital have been on high alert in the lead up to Euro 2016, and this is not the first potential scare near one of the stadia used for the international tournament.
Just hours before the group stage game between Wales and Russia in Toulouse, a suspect package was found, forcing police to order an evacuation of a square in the city centre.
A suspect package was also found in Lille before the game between Russia and Slovakia, while a Paris fanzone was evacuated during the Germany-Italy quarter-final after what later turned out to have been someone letting off a firecracker.
