France: 3 Jewish youths were attacked by North African assailants carrying hammers and iron bars in Lyon in what the interior minister has described as an extremely serious anti-Semitic attack

The attack happened as the three victims, all of them wearing Jewish skullcaps, or yarmulkes, left a Jewish school, police said. A group of people jostled and insulted the three, then about 10 other assailants armed with hammers and bars joined in, striking the victims. One youth had an open wound to the head and a girl was struck in the neck, authorities said. The third was hit in the arm. The victims were hospitalised but later released as police stepped up patrols in the neighbourhood. The National Bureau of Vigilance against Anti-Semitism said that the attackers were of North African origin.