French police carry out raids over Paris attacks

Specialised counterterrorism units have carried over 150 raids in eight cities across France and arrested at least nine people in connection with the deadly Paris attacks.

Monday’s early-morning raids took place in Toulouse, Paris, Jeumont and Grenoble where police blocked streets and searched houses looking for suspects involved in Friday’s attacks, which killed at least 129 people and wounded hundreds more.

Local media reported 13 raids in Lyon where police said a rocket launcher, among other ammunition, was seized and arrests made.

Al Jazeera’s David Chater, reporting from Paris, said about 200 members of police tactical units surrounded an address in Toulouse and ammunition and a large amount of cash were also found at one of the locations.

He said 20 police vans were used in the raid in Jeumont on the French-Belgian border where a house was searched.

 

France Prime Minister Manuel Valls confirmed that the raids were linked to Friday’s events and warned more attacks were being planned.

“We know that operations were being prepared and are still being prepared, not only against France but other European countries too,” Valls told RTL radio.

He added that France was “making use of the legal framework of the state of emergency to question people who are part of the radical jihadist movement… and all those who advocate hate of the republic”.

Earlier, reports emerged that a fugitive directly involved in the attacks was questioned and let go by police near the Belgian border.

French police had released a photo of Salah Abdeslam, a 26-year-old born in Brussels, who is on the run.

Al Jazeera