Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower in Paris evacuated briefly in security alerts —police

PARIS, France - The areas around the Arc de Triomphe and Eiffel Tower in central Paris have been reopened after briefly being evacuated on Tuesday for security alerts, police told Reuters.

The Arc de Triomphe area and surrounding subway stations had been evacuated following a bomb alert, but by 1630 GMT traffic was back to normal, police and witnesses said.

The Paris Champ de Mars park around the Eiffel Tower had also been evacuated briefly following the discovery of a bag filled with ammunition.

Two local French news sites showed pictures of a blue bag with different kinds of ammunition.

France is on high alert following the beheading of a teacher this month by an 18-year-old Muslim man angry about the use of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in a civics lesson.

There have been several false bomb alerts, most recently in the Lyon railway station last week and at the Eiffel Tower a month ago. -- Reuters