LEBANON: Bomb damage Air France airline office

Record ID: 358204

  • Title: LEBANON: Bomb damage Air France airline office
  • Date: 16th November 1981
  • Summary: BEIRUT, LEBANON (VISNEWS BEIRUT) GV Air France building in Beirut after bombing SV INTERIOR bomb-damaged building, and employees up damage (7 shots) GV EXTERIOR Patrolling helicopter and security officers at Beirut airport GV &SV Security guards search passengers (2 shots)
  • Embargoed: 1st December 1981 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Lebanon, Lebanon
  • Country: Lebanon
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA37FA6Z19CSX6OE8EZR4U1PFUJ
  • Story Text: INTRODUCTION: In Lebanon, a bomb damaged an Air France office in East Beirut on Sunday (15 November).Two other explosions caused minor damage at another branch of the airline in Jounieh, north of Beirut, and at the Lebanese-French bank in the East Beirut suburb of Dora.

    SYNOPSIS: The Air France office in the Lebanese capital was attacked on the same night as the two other French targets.No one was hurt in the explosions, but a group which claimed responsibility for the bombings also threatened to blow up an Air France plane in mid-flight.

    A telephone caller told a news agency that the so-called Orly Organisation carried out the bombings.The group has been demanding the release of a suspected Armenian guerrilla held in France.Further action was threatened i f police did not free Dimitriu Giorgiu, who was arrested at Orly Airport outside Paris and charged with possessing forged identity papers.

    French police said they believed the group was linked with the Lebanon-based Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia.Lebanon has a large Armenian community.

    Following the threat to blow up an Air france airliner, security was tightened up at Beirut Airport.Officials at the airport said an anonymous phone call had been received the warning that any Air France plane taking off would be blown up in flight.The caller refused to give further details.

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