Multiple arrests in French raids over suspected attack plot

PARIS: A French security official says several people suspected of preparing a possible attack have been arrested in a counterterrorism operation in the Paris suburbs and in southeastern France.

The official says that the arrests on Tuesday were prompted by suspicious activity on social networks that suggested an attack was in the works. The official, who was not authorized to be publicly named discussing security operations, would not provide further details.

The operation is still underway in the Val-de-Marne region just southeast of Paris and in the Alpes-Maritimes region, which includes part of the French Riviera and the Alps.

It comes days after a new counterterrorism law came into effect to replace a state of emergency that had been in place since deadly attacks in Paris two years ago.