Police commandos arrested 19 suspected Islamic militants in raids Friday in several French cities including Toulouse,where seven people were killed by an al-Qaeda-inspired gunman this month.
President Nicolas Sarkozy said more raids would follow to get rid of people who have no business in the country.
The police source said the operation was not directly related to Mohamed Merahs killing spree in Toulouse. The police source said several of those arrested were believed to be close to the banned radical Islamist group Forsane Alizza Knights of Pride. The arrests took place in Paris,Toulouse,Marseille,Nantes and Lyon,officials said.