France vows to punish attackers behind widespread prison violence

French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to find and punish those responsible for a recent wave of coordinated attacks targeting prisons and staff across France, including arson, gunfire, and vandalism at multiple facilities. The assaults, which began on Sunday, have included vehicles set ablaze, automatic weapons fired at a prison entrance, and attacks on the homes and workplaces of prison staff. Authorities link the violence to a group calling itself the Defence of French Prisoners (DDPF), which claims to defend prisoners' human rights but denies being a terrorist organization. French officials suspect drug traffickers may be orchestrating the attacks in response to a government crackdown on narcotics and planned toughening of prison conditions for key offenders. The national anti-terrorist prosecutor's office has opened an investigation, and at least one suspect has been detained, though links to the DDPF remain unclear. Macron and Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin have reiterated their support for prison staff and pledged continued reforms to combat drug-related crime within the prison system.