France probes attempted murder after petrol bomb attack on police

French prosecutors have launched an attempted murder investigation after petrol bombs were thrown at police and gendarmes during protests in Paris, DW English reported.

The attack occurred at the end of a march at Porte de Charenton, where an incendiary device exploded at the feet of a gendarme, setting his protective gear on fire, according to DW English and Al Jazeera English.

Authorities reported several injuries including second-degree burns and tinnitus, with the exact number and severity still being assessed, Al Jazeera English noted.

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez described the violence as extraordinary, and the Interior Ministry said 779 people were arrested nationwide during the protests and Halloween night, with 105 arrests in Paris alone, DW English reported.

The protests, which involved hundreds of thousands of people, were held across France and other European countries, including Germany, Switzerland, Portugal, and Albania, where some demonstrations ended in violence, The Guardian World stated.

No suspects have been arrested yet in connection with the petrol bomb attack, according to DW English and Al Jazeera English.

The investigation focuses on attempted murder of persons vested with public authority after multiple explosive devices were thrown at security forces, Al Jazeera English added.