Bomb Hits Car Of Prefect`s Driver In Corsica

Corsica is a popular holiday destination.

 A bomb exploded under the car of a senior official's driver in Bastia, on the French Mediterranean island of Corsica, on Sunday night, leading police to investigate possible links to separatist militants.

No one was hurt in the attack on the private car of the driver of Herve Bouchaert, who is the prefect of Upper Corsica, police said on Monday.

Prefects represent the authority of the French state in the regions and the attack comes at a sensitive time, during the appeal trial in Paris of a separatist Corsican shepherd accused of murdering prefect Claude Erignac in 1998.

France's anti-terrorist unit is investigating whether the unknown attackers were targeting the driver because of his links to Bouchaert or if the motive was personal, police said.

Actions by Corsican militants demanding independence have ranged from demonstrations to firebombings of holiday homes owned by mainland French and foreigners. Corsica is a popular holiday destination.