PARIS/BELGRADE — An international investigation has led to the arrest of 11 individuals in Serbia believed to be behind a series of deeply provocative anti-Islamic acts in France, including the placement of pig heads at multiple mosques.

The Serbian Interior Ministry confirmed the arrests of the 11 Serbian nationals on September 29 near the capital, Belgrade. This operation follows a request for cooperation from French prosecutors, who had traced a Serbian-plated vehicle used in the incidents.

The prime acts of disrespect occurred on the morning of September 9, when nine pig heads—an animal considered forbidden (haram) and profoundly insulting in Islam—were discovered outside mosques in Paris and its suburbs. Disturbingly, some of the severed heads were marked with the name 'Macron' (the French President) in blue ink.

The Serbian Ministry added a chilling geopolitical dimension to the case, stating the group was "trained by another fugitive suspect" who was acting under the "instruction of a foreign intelligence agency." The group's stated purpose was to "incite and promote hatred, discrimination, and violence" on the basis of difference. The arrested suspects are also linked to a separate paint vandalism attack on the Paris Holocaust Memorial in April.

While official statements from Paris and Belgrade have avoided naming a specific country, sources suggest that Russia is the prime suspect for orchestrating these destabilizing actions. The arrests highlight a concerted effort to combat foreign-sponsored provocations aimed at fueling domestic tensions and polarization within French society. The fugitive instructor remains at large.