Terror group threatens to bomb French rail network

France's SNCF state railway network is under threat by a mysterious group that is prepared to bomb rail tracks unless a demand for $5 million is met.

The group have already planted two sophisticated devices, one on the Paris to Toulouse track near Limoges in Southern France, and another last month in central France, to demonstrate its bomb-making capabilities.

It emerged today that, following a letter to French authorities, security forces had already carried out tests on a similar device discovered on a line in central France. Tests indicated that the bomb, capable of blowing a metre wide crater in the railway track, would be able to shatter the rail line.

The group called AZF, apparently after a chemical factory that exploded in 2001 killing 30 people, has claimed that a further 10 bombs have been planted on railway tracks throughout France.

French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy said today that there was no other option but to take the threats seriously.

It is understood that the terrorist group, which have no know political or religious affiliations, have been sending letters to senior French government officials, including Mr Sarkozy and the President of France Jacques Chirac.

A previous device examined two weeks ago proved capable of shattering a section of railway track and the French government have been treating the threats as potentially life-threatening should a train be derailed by one of the devices.

The extent of the threat became apparent when a news black-out on the issue was lifted in a Toulouse paper today.

(SP)