French PM warns of more terror attacks

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has warned the country of more terror attacks in the days to come, saying that some 15,000 people are in the process of radicalization in France and on police radar, while 1,400 are under investigation.

In an interview with Europe 1 radio and Itele television, Valls on Sunday said the authorities prevent 

terror attacks on a daily basis but not every terrorist can be apprehended. Valls said two attacks were foiled last week, and warned: “There will be new attacks, there will be [more] innocent victims.”

“It is my job to tell this truth to the French people… We are a target – everyone understands this,” he said. He said the threat of attacks is “at its highest...in recent days”.

“We have nearly 700 French jihadists and residents, who are currently fighting in Iraq and Syria,” he said, noting that this figure included “275 women and dozens of children.” Paris was put on “maximum” alert this week after French officials said they cracked an Islamic State-affiliated “terrorist cell” that was allegedly planning to bomb the populous Paris Gare de Lyon railway station.

Police arrested three radicalised women who reportedly intended to bomb the the railway station to avenge the death of IS leader Abu Muhammed al-Adnani, reported RT news.

Valls slammed French President Nicholas Sarkozy’s idea of putting French citizens having militant links in preventative detention for security and said such measures could inspire more attacks. He also criticised the anti-terrorism steps Sarkozy took while he was in office.