Members of the GIPN and RAID, French police special forces. (AFP Photo)
Paris:
France is deploying 15,000 police and security forces to bolster security around "sensitive" sites and Jewish schools in the country, in the wake of Islamist attacks that left 17 dead, authorities said on Monday.
Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said 10,000 soldiers will be called up from Tuesday to protect "sensitive sites in the whole country from tomorrow evening", given the "scale of threats" on France.
The troop deployment would come on top of 5,000 police and security forces already mobilised Monday to protect some 717 schools and Jewish sites in the country.
Le Drian unveiled the fresh measures after an emergency meeting called by President Francois Hollande as attention turned to preventing a repeat of France's bloodiest attacks in half a century.
"This is the first time that our troops have been mobilised to such an extent on our own soil," the defence minister said, adding that he would prefer not to list the sites which are deemed sensitive.
Le Drian said the mobilisation is going on "thanks to a high level of reactivity of our forces and the professionalism" showed by the team.
Authorities are still hunting for possible accomplices of the three gunmen who carried out the three-day killing spree that began with a massacre of 12 people at the Charlie Hebdo satirical weekly.
Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said 10,000 soldiers will be called up from Tuesday to protect "sensitive sites in the whole country from tomorrow evening", given the "scale of threats" on France.
The troop deployment would come on top of 5,000 police and security forces already mobilised Monday to protect some 717 schools and Jewish sites in the country.
Le Drian unveiled the fresh measures after an emergency meeting called by President Francois Hollande as attention turned to preventing a repeat of France's bloodiest attacks in half a century.
"This is the first time that our troops have been mobilised to such an extent on our own soil," the defence minister said, adding that he would prefer not to list the sites which are deemed sensitive.
Le Drian said the mobilisation is going on "thanks to a high level of reactivity of our forces and the professionalism" showed by the team.
Authorities are still hunting for possible accomplices of the three gunmen who carried out the three-day killing spree that began with a massacre of 12 people at the Charlie Hebdo satirical weekly.
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