Paris-area mayor: Burning car by synagogue unrelated to Charlie Hebdo attack

A car that caught fire outside a synagogue near the site of the deadly attack on the Paris headquarters of the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine was not related to the attack, the mayor of a Paris suburb said.

Mayor Francois Pupponi of Sarcelles, a heavily Jewish suburb of Paris, said the fire that erupted Wednesday afternoon was “accidental.” Some reports said the car caught fire due to a mechanical error.

The French news website JSSNews reported and posted photos showing that the car was located directly in front of the Synagogue of Garges-Les-Gonesse in an area where cars are not permitted to park.

In July, the synagogue was attacked during a pro-Palestinian rally in reaction to Israel’s military operation in Gaza.

The attack on Charlie Hebdo left at least 12 dead and 10 injured, including five seriously.