French police arrest 7 terrorist suspects

Men plotting attacks in France

French police arrested seven terrorist suspects, Monday, who were reportedly plotting to carry out attacks in the country. The French authorities made the arrests in the cities of Strasbourg and Marseille, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said. Cazeneuve told reporters during a press conference that the individuals were of French, Moroccan and Afghan origin. “It enabled us to prevent a long-planned terror attack on our soil”, he said, without identifying the targets. The arrests came five days before the opening of the famed Christmas market in Strasbourg, which attracts tourists from across Europe and was the target of a failed extremist plot in 2000. Cazeneuve said 43 people have been arrested in November alone as part of anti-terror operations following deadly Daesh terrorist attacks on France over the past two years.