PARIS
French police dismantled an alleged network that sends fighters to Syria Monday, several French media outlets said.
Anti-terror police units raided several targets in Paris, the southern region of Toulouse and the northern area of Normandy, making a number of arrests.
It was not immediately clear how many suspects have been arrested.
The French parliament in October adopted an anti-terrorism law aimed at stopping French nationals from traveling abroad to join militants fighting in Syria, Iraq and other regions.
The travel ban, effective for at least six months and renewable for up to two years, allows authorities to immediately confiscate suspects' passports and identity cards.
Authorities said at least 1,132 French nationals have joined ISIL.
"Since the beginning of 2014, the number of French nationals leaving to fight in Syria and Iraq has increased by 82 percent," said French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve.
Cazeneuve also said around 380 French nationals are currently in Syria and Iraq. France's Prime Minister Manuel Valls said 49 French nationals died while fighting in Syria.
www.aa.com.tr/en
