Copenhagen attack: French PM says terror risk remains high

Paris, Feb 16: The threat of terrorist attacks in France remained "particularly high", French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said on Monday after attacks in Copenhagen over the weekend, adding his pledge to keep "exceptional measures" in place in the French country for as long as needed.

"The terrorist threat remains particularly high in Europe and in France. That's why we have to face it by mobilising what we're doing via the Vigipirate plan," Xinhua news agency quoted Valls as telling RTL radio.

After two deadly attacks at the weekend in Copenhagen, which targeted a synagogue and a meeting on freedom of expression involving an artist who had mocked the Prophet Muhammad, the French premier stressed the need for prolonged action against what he called "Islamo-fascism".

"We will prolong these measures as long as necessary, as long as the threat remains so high," he said.

The French government reinforced security measures and deployed about 10,000 servicemen to its cities to protect sensitive locations, including major shopping areas, public places, and religious centres after Islamist gunmen killed 17 people in a series of attacks last month.

"We have to get used to living with this terrorist threat which is the result of barbaric international organisations such as Al Qaeda or Daesh (Arabic initials of the Islamic State Sunni radical group), but also the result of radicalised individuals who are on our soil and who are French," Valls added.

IANS