Bullets Found in Letters Sent to French Mosques, Sparking Security Concerns

Bullets were found inside the letters. "I found a sealed and stamped envelope, addressed to us, in the mailbox. It was a bit heavy. I opened it in the office and found three shells, or three cartridges, I don’t know anything about weapons. I immediately called the police. She took the matter very seriously," a manager of the Al-Houda mosque in Saint-Herblain told 20 Minutes. He says he filed a complaint. This is the first threat received in 20 years of existence, the officials of this mosque closed to the public since the reconfinement of France have indicated.

A similar letter, with three cartridges, was addressed to the Assalam mosque in Nantes. This letter would have been sent by mistake to Nantes Métropole. According to the Islamic Association of Western France (AIOF) in charge of managing this place of worship, this is not the first time. The mosque had received threats after the attacks of January 2015.

"What reassures us (the Muslims) are the public authorities here with regular guards around the places of worship and the support of our fellow citizens," said Ben Saïd, imam of the Assalam mosque on TéléNantes.