France says terror attack foiled with weekend arrests

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve says attack thwarted after authorities arrested several men over the weekend.

By REUTERS
Updated: NOVEMBER 21, 2016 13:07
French police officers [Illustrative] (photo credit: REUTERS)
French police officers [Illustrative]
(photo credit: REUTERS)
PARIS - French police arrested several men over the weekend and foiled a planned terror attack, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said on Monday.
Seven people of French, Moroccan and Afghan origin and aged from 29 to 37 years, were arrested in all, two in Marseille and most of the others in the eastern city of Strasbourg, he said.
One of the world's oldest and largest Christmas markets is due to open in Strasbourg on Friday. Cazeneuve did not say in his declaration to reporters what the target of the would-be attackers was however.
Paris marks year after attacks (Reuters)
France has been reeling in the wake of several deadly attacks claimed by Islamic State militants since last year.
Last week, France marked one year since the string of November 13, 2015 attacks in which gunmen and suicide bombers targeted the Bataclan music hall, a soccer stadium and several cafes in Paris.  In all, the Islamic State militants killed 130 people.
During a more than two-hour long assault, the attackers executed some victims and took others hostage. The attack ended after one militant was shot dead and the two others killed themselves by detonating explosive vests.
The Paris attacks prompted the government to impose a state of emergency, which remains in place, following other attacks this summer in Nice and Normandy.