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French police arrest 6 suspected Syria jihadists

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AP Paris
Last Updated : May 13 2014 | 2:01 PM IST
France's interior minister said police arrested six people today in northeastern France in a roundup of suspected jihadists who travelled to fight in Syria's civil war.
The sweep around dawn in Strasbourg came weeks after authorities announced a new push to prevent French militants from travelling to Syria.
Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said the six were suspected of participating in a jihadist network, and recently travelled to Syria.
In a brief statement at his ministry, Cazeneuve said the sweep "went down perfectly" and showed "the total determination of the government to fight with all its power against terrorism and the enlisting of youths in violent radicalisation." The suspects were in police custody.
Cazeneuve didn't make any reference to a news report on Europe-1 radio earlier saying that the sweep involved a police investigation of 14 young men who had told their parents they were going on vacation in December but instead went to south Turkey and eventually to Syria.
Hundreds of young French militants have travelled to Syria. Authorities fear they could return home with fighting skills and ambitions to carry out attacks.

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First Published: May 13 2014 | 2:01 PM IST

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