Suspected extremist arrested, arms found near French base

pulse

May 5, 2017 6:56 PM

A shotgun, two black powder revolvers and bullets" were discovered near the air base near Paris.

French voters head to the polls on May 7, 2017 to pick their next president in what has been a bruising and divisive campaign overshadowed by security worries

French authorities found guns hidden near a military base where an ex-soldier suspected of radicalisation was arrested Friday, a source close to the case said just two days before

"A shotgun, two black powder revolvers and bullets" were discovered near the air base near Paris, where the 34-year-old former serviceman was taken into custody, the source said.

Police found a car belonging to the man, who is on a French watchlist of extremists, near the base in Evreux. He was arrested a few hours later in the same area.

Paris anti-terror prosecutors are investigating, but it is not clear why the suspect was near the base.

French voters head to the polls Sunday to pick their next president in a bruising and divisive campaign overshadowed by security worries.

Karim Cheurfi, a 39-year-old Frenchman, shot and killed a police officer and wounded two others on the Champs Elysees avenue days before the first round of voting, in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. Cheurfi was killed in return fire.

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