Czech investigators are investigating an overnight fire at an industrial complex as potentially being a deliberate attack, officials said on Friday, following media reports that a group protesting against Israeli weapons claimed responsibility.
Firefighters said early on Friday on X/Twitter that they had responded to a fire at a storage hall in a complex in Pardubice, 75 miles east of Prague. No one was injured in the fire, which spread to another building.
Czech news website Aktualne.cz reported that a protest group said it had set fire to a "key manufacturing hub" for Israeli weapons in Pardubice to end its role in the alleged "genocide in Gaza."
Czech defense firm LPP Holding, with a location in the complex, confirmed a fire at one of its facilities. But it said plans it had announced in 2023 to cooperate with Israeli company Elbit Systems on drone production were never implemented.
"No Israeli drones have ever been manufactured at our facility," LPP said.
Czech police investigating unnamed group
After the fire, police initially said they were investigating whether it was intentional and checking public claims of a "concrete group," without naming it.
They later said investigators with security services were probing the incident under a section of the criminal code dealing with terrorism.
"Based on what we know so far, it is likely the incident may be related to a terrorist attack," Interior Minister Lubomir Metnar said.
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said he would convene a state security council meeting due to the incident.