At least five drones were seen overnight above key locations in the skies above Paris on Monday night, stoking security concerns in a city already on high alert.
The drones, whose pilots remain unidentified by police, were seen in the vicinity of the US embassy, the Eiffel Tower and Place de la Concorde. The first of the remotely controlled devices was spotted at around midnight flying above the American embassy in Paris’ 8th arrondissement. Four more were then seen between 01:00 and 06:00 local time.
Security has been heightened in the French capital since the Charlie Hebdo shootings early in January. AFP quoted a source close to the investigation as saying: “It happens from time to time [that drones are seen in the sky above Paris] but we have never seen so many in just one night. It could be a coordinated action but we know nothing more for the moment.”
An investigation involving around a dozen officers has been opened by the air traffic branch of the French police.
Over the last few months numerous drones have been spotted flying above sensitive sites in France. On the night of January 28 drones were identified flying above French nuclear-armed submarines at the port of Brest, supposedly one of France’s most protected locations.
The fact that some of these drone flights have been simultaneous and within kilometres of each other has led to suspicion that they are part of an organised operation. As yet however, the police have been unable to track down the pilots.