French police detain six in anti-terror raids

French anti-terrorism police have arrested six suspects for alleged terror activities, including planning attacks on French soil, media and security sources said Tuesday. The arrests, which took place on Monday in three different areas around Paris, aimed to dismantle a terrorist cell composed of individuals known to police for some time, "France Info" radio said. Security sources confirmed the raids but did not give details except to confirm the number of those in detention, but said police operations might not yet be finished. French radio said that those arrested were already suspected of involvement in criminal activities and could have been planning attacks against prominent figures in France. Several of those arrested are believed to be French while others are African. The French nationals are part of a growing phenomenon of domestically-originated terrorism that has produced several groups that police have dismantled. The suspects can be held for three days for questioning before a judge is requested to hold them on charges.