The attacks at the hospitals in Dax and Villefranche-sur-Saone prompted the transfer of some patients to other facilities as the French health care system is under pressure from the coronavirus pandemic.

Macron discussed the attacks with officials and workers from both hospitals, saying the incident “shows how the threat is very serious, sometimes vital.”

“We are learning about these new attacks, some coming from states as part of new conflicts between nations, others coming from mafias,” the French leader said during a videoconference. Some attacks have “criminal” or “lucrative” motives, others are used to “destabilize” countries, he added.