France raises terrorism threat level

France has raised the terrorism alert level across the country following an attack on a packed music venue in Russia, which left 137 people dead.

On Friday, four men opened fire inside Crocus City Hall outside Moscow and set the building ablaze. All of the terrorists were later detained while attempting to flee by car in the direction of the Ukrainian border, according to President Vladimir Putin.

The jihadist group Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K) claimed responsibility for the massacre. Moscow has so far not confirmed the group’s involvement.

“Following the attack in Moscow, the French president has convened a meeting of the National Defense and Security Council this evening,” French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday.

“In light of the Islamic State’s claim that it was responsible for the attack, and the threats looming over our country, we have decided to raise the Vigipirate plan to the highest level,” the prime minister added.

France has been living under reinforced security measures since a wave of terrorist attacks in January 2015, when a group of Islamists killed 17 people in Paris and its suburbs. The government responded by enacting Operation Sentinel, which saw the deployment of armed soldiers to patrol the capital. In November of that year, France saw its deadliest Islamist attacks in recent memory, when suicide bombers and gunmen killed 130 people in Paris.