Letter bomb explodes at IMF Paris office

One person was injured after a letter bomb exploded at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) office in central Paris, on Thursday.

Police operatives said there had been telephone threats against the IMF, but “there’s no certainty that the calls were linked to the explosive”.

Christine Largarde, IMF managing director, has condemned the violent act.

“I have been informed about the the explosion in the IMF’s Paris office, which caused injuries to one of our staff. I have been in touch with the office, and my compassion goes to the colleagues there,” she said in a statement.

“I condemn this cowardly act of violence and reaffirm the IMF’s resolve to continue our work in line with our mandate. We are working closely with the French authorities to investigate this incident and ensure the safety of our staff.”

Lagarde, who has spent five years as the managing director of IMF, is a French citizen.

France is set to hold its presidential election in six weeks.