France implements "extreme vigilance" ahead of public holidays
The highest of three terror alert levels has been in force in France since October 13. Interior Minister Darmanin also calls for maximum vigilance. Five suspects are arrested in an anti-terrorist operation not far from the German border.
Five people have been arrested in an anti-terrorist operation in eastern France. They were taken into custody as part of an intelligence investigation, according to the anti-terrorism prosecutor's office. They are being investigated for forming a criminal terrorist organization. The arrests were made in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department.
AFP received confirmation of the arrests from investigators, but no further details were given about the charges against the detainees. According to the report, the arrests were made on Friday morning around 100 km from the German border in Nancy, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy and Toul.
France's Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin had warned the country's prefects to be "extremely vigilant" over the Christmas and Epiphany holidays, as the "terrorist threat" remains very high.
The highest of three alert levels has been in force in France since October 13. It was declared after the attack on a teacher in Arras in northern France: A radicalized ex-student had killed the teacher Dominique Bernard in front of the school entrance with several stab wounds to the shoulder and neck. At the same time, the alert level was activated against the backdrop of the war between Israel and the radical Islamic group Hamas.
In Berlin, members of the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas were recently arrested for planning an attack. The plans are not yet said to have been concrete. According to the federal prosecutor's office, all four suspects are said to have been members of Hamas for years, participated in the organization's activities abroad and had close contacts with leaders of its military wing.
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The arrests in eastern France are part of France's ongoing anti-terror fight, aiming to deter potential threats during the heightened terrorist risk period. France remains in a state of high alert against terrorism, with the Interior Minister urging extreme vigilance throughout the holiday seasons.
Source: www.ntv.de
