Monday 16 November 2015

Adeboye

Paris attacks ‘planned from Syria’ – France PM


Friday’s attacks by Islamist militants in Paris were planned and organised from Syria, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has said.

He added that the authorities believed new terror attacks were being planned in France and other European countries.

Meanwhile two more of the attackers have been named, as well as the five already identified.

A total of 129 people died in the attacks on bars and restaurants, a concert hall and the Stade de France.

France is to hold a nationwide minute of silence at midday local time (11:00 GMT) for the victims.

A huge manhunt is under way for surviving members and accomplices of the Islamist group that carried out the attack.

Police have named Brussels-born Salah Abdeslam, 26, as a key suspect. He was reportedly stopped by officers in the wake of the attacks – but then let go.

Meanwhile, French aircraft have attacked Raqqa, the stronghold in Syria of the Islamic State group, which has said it carried out the attacks, reports the BBC.

Valls said that France was dealing with a “terrorist army”, rather than a single terrorist group.

“We know that operations were being prepared and are still being prepared, not only against France but other European countries too,” he said, quoted by AFP news agency.

The prime minister said more than 150 raids on militant targets in different areas of France early on Monday.

“We are making use of the legal framework of the state of emergency to question people who are part of the radical jihadist movement… and all those who advocate hate of the republic,” he said.

Police sources told news agencies that properties in the Paris suburb of Bobigny, as well as the cities of Grenoble, Toulouse and Lyon, had been targeted.

Reports said large amounts of weapons were found and several people arrested.

Seven attackers died in the assault on the French capital, most of them after detonating suicide belts.

Five were identified over the weekend, and on Monday another two were named by the Paris prosecutor as Ahmad al-Mohammad and Samy Amimour.

Al-Mohammad is said to be from Syria. The other attackers so far named are all from Europe.

Amimour was said to be facing terrorism charges in France.

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Adeboye

About Adeboye -

I am a trained journalist, reporter, social media expert, and blogger in Nigeria

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