By KUNA
Paris : Three individuals have been arrested on the Mediterranean island of Corsica for their suspected role in torching part of the local assembly building in the town of Ajaccio on January 13, security and media sources reported Monday.
The arrests follow an intense enquiry into the fire, which caused massive damage to a wing of the building and met with widespread condemnation from the government and local political parties.
The fire followed the occupation of the building by Corsican, separatist militants.
Police said the three suspects had been arrested after identification from fingerprints and DNA traces.
Separately, media sources said that two banks were blown up in southern Corsica in the town of Sartene early Monday.
The two agencies were very seriously damaged after plastic explosive devices were set off during the night, but no injuries were reported.
Corsican separatist movements have been carrying out a campaign for independence from the French mainland for several decades, a campaign that has mainly focused on bomb and arson attacks during the night, when the risk of death and injury is minimal.
However, there have been a number of rocket and machine gun attacks against police buildings, which could have caused loss of life.
Moreover, militants several years ago also assassinated the Paris-appointed Prefect of Corsica in full view of the public in a street on the island and there have been other assassinations in fratricidal disputes between rival, separatist groups.