France mobilises 10,000 security forces after attacks

PARIS — France’s defence minister said today (Jan 12) the country is mobilising 10,000 security forces to protect the population. Mr Jean-Yves Le Drian said the deployment will begin tomorrow, and will focus on the most sensitive locations.

This comes as french security forces are mobilising in their search for what the prime minister called a “probably accomplice” to three days of bloodshed and terror around the capital, as well as to try to ensure the safety of the French people.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said the search is urgent because “the threat is still present” after the attacks that left 17 people dead — journalists at the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, hostages at a kosher market and three police officers — plus the three attackers, who were killed Friday in nearly simultaneous raids by security forces.

The widow of one of the attackers crossed into Syria last Thursday, the day after the Charlie Hebdo massacre, and the same day her husband shot a policewoman to death on the outskirts of Paris, according to Turkey’s foreign minister.

Video emerged yesterday of her husband Amedy Coulibaly, explaining how the attacks would unfold and police want to find the person who shot and posted the video, which was edited after the attacks were over. AP