Paris: French anti-terror police Monday dismantled a recruiting network for Syria jihad and arrested 10 people on allegations of sending nationals to fight alongside Islamist insurgents in the Arab-torn country, interior ministry said.
In a nationwide raid, police units targeted presumed Jihad recruiters in the southern town of Toulouse, Paris suburbs and in Normandy, north France.
“Dismantling organised Jihad networks is a top priority of police, in full coordination with the judiciary authorities,” the ministry said in a statement, reiterating the government’s determination to fight terrorism, according to Xinhua.
“With terror threat constantly increasing,” France has reinforced measures to dismantle terrorist cells and crack down self-radicalised nationals planning attacks in the country while returning from Syria, the statement said.
With an anti-jihad bill, the ruling Socialists said to ban French nationals, suspected of having ties with jihadi cells, from leaving the country for an indefinite period.
The law will also give the green light to block websites that encourage jihad without a judge’s approval.
Official data showed more than 900 French nationals and residents either joined the Syrian civil war or planned to travel to the conflict-torn country.