France arrests three on suspicion of planning attack

Three men have been arrested in France and are being questioned by the anti-terrorist services on suspicion of wanting to go to Syria or planning attacks in France, police and judicial sources said on Tuesday.

French media say a counter-terrorism operation is under way at the home of one of the suspects, in the central city of Clermont-Ferrand.

The other two arrests were reportedly in Marseille and in the Paris region.

The suspects "have been arrested as part of a preliminary investigation started in January on suspicion of leaving for Syria or committing an act in France," Reuters news agency reported, citing a source.

The three men were arrested in connection with a preliminary investigation opened in January by the antiterrorist section of the Paris prosecutor's office, AFP quoted a judicial source as saying.

France has been on high alert since November 2015 after a series of deadly attacks in recent years by militants claiming to be from the Islamic State group.