France frees 5 terrorism suspects, will charge 7 others

French prosecutors ordered the release Thursday of five suspected terrorists and are to charge seven others that were detained in country-wide raids last weekend, media and judicial sources said. Police raided several areas of France five days ago and detained twelve suspects, pending an investigation into a radical Islamic network believed to be planning attacks against Jewish targets. In September, a Jewish store was attacked with a grenade in the Paris suburb of Sarcelles, injuring one person, and police have bolstered their presence outside Jewish institutions following a shooting incident at a Synagogue and reports of other incidents. Some of the suspects rounded up last weekend in raids in Strasbourg, Cannes and other areas are believed to have been responsible for planning the Sarcelles attack and were thought to be actively working on other targets. The presumed leader of the alleged terror group was shot dead in a fire-fight with police in Strasbourg while trying to avoid capture. Judicial sources said Thursday that the seven men remaining in police custody are likely to be charged with attempted murder and "associating with a terrorist enterprise." On Wednesday, police uncovered a stockpile of artisanal explosive materials and weapons in a garage outside of Paris. Earlier, a list of potential Jewish targets was found in one of the raids. But Paris Prosecutor, who described the suspects as an "active terrorist" group, told reporters Thursday that the groups also planned to send volunteers to take part in a "Jihad" in Syria, "France Info radio said, confirming the terrorism and attempted murder charges against the seven men. "Jihad" in Syria is a new development as many of the suspects are home-grown converts to Islam and apparently were volunteers to become radicals. All those in detention are French nationals and some are of pure French origin and converted to radicalism in prison.