France Raid Nets Three Suspected Extremists

Local Editor

Two men and a woman have been arrested in a dawn raid in southern France on suspicion of recruiting militants for Syria armed groups and planning attacks at home, police said.

The suspects were arrested in the city of Albi in a joint raid by the DGSI intelligence agency and RAID, an elite police special operations unit.

Two had returned this spring from three months in Syria and one is suspected of recruiting extremist fighters, according to preliminary information.

A police source said they are suspected of planning "violent acts."

The French government is deeply concerned about the extremists after hundreds of its citizens were found to have joined the ranks of terrorist groups in Syria.
France this month unveiled a bill aimed at strengthening anti-terrorism laws to stop aspiring extremists from traveling to Syria.

It includes a ban on foreign travel of up to six months for individuals suspected of "radicalization", and gives authorities powers to temporarily confiscate and invalidate their passports.

According to official estimates, around 800 French nationals or residents - including dozens of women - have traveled to Syria, returned from the conflict-ridden country or plan to go there.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team