The night from Sunday to Monday was agitated in Val-de-Travers: the post office distributor in Couvet was destroyed during an explosion. The residents were woken up by a strong detonation around 3 am. Neuchâtel police confirms that the aircraft was the target of an explosive attack by a group of at least five individuals. The explosion did not injure any injuries but caused significant material damage, damaging the post office building and blowing the windows of the building opposite.
The authors managed to flee aboard a vehicle towards the French border. The amount of the butt carried remains at this indeterminate stage.
An important research device was immediately deployed by Neuchâtel police, with the support of the Federal Customs and Borders Safety Office.
Safety and specialized intervention measures
As a precautionary measure, fifteen residents of the neighboring building were temporarily evacuated, while the deminers of the Vaud cantonal police neutralize an explosive left on the spot.
The intervention mobilized several patrols of the Neuchâtel police, investigators of the judicial police, as well as five firefighters from Couvet. Given the use of explosives, the case falls under the jurisdiction of the federal authorities. The first investigations were carried out by the Neuchâtel police. The investigation is now under the leadership of the Confederation Public Prosecutor’s Office, in collaboration with Fedpol. Specialists in demining from the Vaud cantonal police and experts from the Forensic Institute of Zurich were also dispatched to the scene to secure the area and collect the first elements. /comm-aju