21 Nov 2016

French police foil terror attack, arrest 7


The arrests of the alleged plotters from France, Morocco and Afghanistan "enabled us to prevent a long-planned terror attack on our soil," Cazeneuve told a televised news conference.

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Police have broken up a terror ring plotting an attack in France after arresting seven suspects in Strasbourg and Marseille, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said on Monday.
He said the investigation would show whether "the foiled attack was a coordinated attack aiming to target several sites simultaneously on our soil."
Police raids were carried out overnight Saturday to Sunday in the eastern city of Strasbourg and Marseille in the south following an eight-month investigation by security services.
"Credible information made these arrests necessary," one security source told AFP earlier, asking not to be named because they were not authorised to speak on the case.
France remains in a state of emergency that gives security forces enhanced powers to mount surveillance and launch raids, a year after attacks by jihadists on Paris that left 130 people dead.
Security and fears about extremism are playing a major role in campaigning ahead of France presidential elections due in April and May next year.
"The threat of terror has never been so high on our soil," Cazeneuve said Monday. "Zero risk cannot be guaranteed and anyone promising this is lying to the French people."
He linked the plot by the latest suspects, aged from 29 to 37, to raids carried out shortly before the Euro 2016 football championship hosted by France in June and July.
Only one of the detainees was known to security forces, a Moroccan who had been flagged by a "partner country," Cazeneuve said.
The interior minister said 418 people had been arrested for suspected links to terror networks since the start of the year.
Strasbourg has been on high alert ahead of the opening of its Christmas market, with local officials warning it could be suspended or cancelled if there were serious threats.