The shock wave of the attack on Friday March 22 in Moscow, claimed by the Islamic State (IS) organization, was keenly felt in France. On Sunday, a defense council was held at the Elysée specially dedicated to the terrorist threat in a context tense by the holding of the Olympic Games (OJ) in four months and the multiplication of threats against educational establishments. Following this meeting, the Prime Minister, Gabriel Attal, announced: “Given the Islamic State’s claim of responsibility for the attack and the threats weighing on our country, we have decided to raise the Vigipirate posture to its highest level: attack emergency. »
The executive remained in an alarming tone throughout the day Monday. From Guyana, where he arrived Monday morning, Emmanuel Macron confirmed that, according to the “information” of which “have” intelligence services, “It was an entity of the Islamic State which instigated this attack and carried it out.”
IS in Khorasan (EI-K) – active in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Central Asia – “who is apparently involved in this attack, had carried out several attempts on our own soil in recent months”explained the head of state, without revealing which ones. “Given its ramifications and intentions, as a precautionary measure but with credible and solid elements”he was “decided to raise the posture of Vigipirate”.
In Paris, Gabriel Attal wanted to illustrate the mobilization of the security forces by visiting the Saint-Lazare station. “The Islamist terrorist threat is real, it is strong” And “she never faltered”declared the Prime Minister. “Our mobilization is obviously total to face it”, “we act everywhere to suffocate it”, with the deployment of “exceptional means throughout the territory”he added.
Two projects foiled since the start of the year
Following the raising of the Vigipirate system to its maximum level “emergency attack”, “4,000 additional soldiers” are placed ” on alert “ in addition to the 3,000 already deployed as part of Operation Sentinel, announced the head of government.
“Our fight against terrorism cannot be fought with words. It is very concrete and our hand will never tremble in the face of terrorism, never in the face of Islamism”assured Gabriel Attal, affirming that 45 planned attacks had been foiled since 2017 – and 74 since 2015 – including two since the start of 2024.
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