- Title: France foils "imminent, violent" attack ahead of presidential vote
- Date: 18th April 2017
- Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (APRIL 18, 2017) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** FRENCH INTERIOR MINISTER, MATTHIAS FEKL, ARRIVING TO GIVE STATEMENT CAMERAS (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH INTERIOR MINISTER, MATTHIAS FEKL, SAYING: "This morning, between 10 and 11 am, police from the Directorate-General for Internal Security carried out, with the assistance of the anti-terrorist unit, the arrest in Marseille's third district, of two people suspected of wanting to commit an imminent and violent attack the day before the French presidential election." MILITARY PERSONNEL LOOKING ON (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH INTERIOR MINISTER, MATTHIAS FEKL, SAYING: "These two radicalised men, born in 1987 and 1993 respectively, of French nationality, intended to commit in the very short-term - by that I mean in the coming days - an attack on French soil." CAMERAMAN FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH INTERIOR MINISTER, MATTHIAS FEKL, SAYING: "The Interior Ministry's teams are, more than ever, fully mobilised everywhere in France to ensure French people's security and to ensure the smooth running of the presidential campaign, to ensure the security of meetings and rallies, to ensure the candidates' security and the security of their campaign headquarters." SIGN READING (French): "INTERIOR MINISTRY" FEKL LEAVING
- Embargoed: 2nd May 2017 12:23
- Keywords: Marseille attack France election Matthias Fekl Interior Ministry security Paris voting
- Location: PARIS, MARSEILLE AND HENIN-BEAUMONT, FRANCE
- City: PARIS, MARSEILLE AND HENIN-BEAUMONT, FRANCE
- Country: France
- Topics: Government/Politics,Elections/Voting
- Reuters ID: LVA0016CXESEF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Two Frenchmen were arrested in the southern port city of Marseille on Tuesday (April 18) morning for planning an "imminent and violent attack" ahead of the first round of the presidential election on April 23, France's Interior Minister Matthias Fekl said.
He told reporters in Paris the two French radicalised men, born in 1987 and 1993, intended to commit an attack on French soil in the coming days.
A police source said the two men appeared to have turned to radical Islam during a term in prison. A search of a rented apartment was underway.
Fekl said police were carrying out searches and that security surrounding the elections and the candidates had been strengthened. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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