Nine suspected Islamic militants arrested Monday outside Paris were plotting an attack on the Paris subway system, an airport or France’s intelligence headquarters, an intelligence official said Tuesday, raising fears that the capital could face bombings similar to those that killed more than 50 people in London in July.
“The moment that there is a verbal threat, we have to act,” the intelligence official said, adding that the nine suspects had been under surveillance since the beginning of the year. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the official’s organization requires it.
The nine suspects were taken into custody Monday during raids on the western outskirts of Paris and in the town of Evreux, 55 miles northwest of the capital. They are suspected of being part of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat, an Algerian terrorist group with links to Al Qaeda.
