Global General

France arrests 11 suspects on terrorism links

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-10-05 22:26

PARIS - French police have arrested 11 suspects in Marseille of southern France under the charges of having links with terrorist groups and having weapons, local medias reported on Tuesday.

Antiterrorism security officials arrested in a first operation three men suspected of having direct links with a young French national belonging to al-Qaida movement arrested in Italy on Sunday, RTL radio said in its report.

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The three men were accused of offering lodging and false papers to Islamists with attacking plans. They will be questioned till Saturday, the radio added, citing police sources.

Eight other men were arrested on charges of smuggling weapons and explosives. They have no relations with the first group, according to the report.

Last month, French security officials said the country was on heightened terrorism alert after the kidnappings of national workers in African countries of Niger and Nigeria and following the successive false bomb alerts in the Eiffel Tower and public transport stations.

In 1995, a terrorist bomb attack in the Paris subway killed eight people and wounded some 200 others.

The United States, Britain and Japan had issued travel alert, warning their nationals and expatriates in Europe to keep vigilant against terrorist strike.