PARIS
French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve has responded to ISIL threats against the citizens of countries that have joined the coalition against the militant group.
"France has no fear. Their threat will not bring down our determination to end their violence," Cazeneuve told a press conference Monday.
On Sunday, ISIL spokesman Abu Mohammed al-Adnani issued an online audio message, reported by French media, calling on the group’s supporters to kill the nationals of Western countries taking part in the U.S.-led coalition.
He said: "If you can kill a disbelieving American or European, especially the nasty and filthy French, or an Australian, or a Canadian... including the citizens of the countries that entered into a coalition against the Islamic State, then rely upon Allah and kill him."
The recording was released in Arabic with transcripts in English, French and Hebrew.
The message followed France’s first airstrikes against ISIL militants in northern Iraq on Friday.
ISIL has captured large swathes of land in Iraq and Syria, declaring a cross-border Islamic "caliphate."
On Friday, Cazeneuve sent a memo to police stations instructing them "to raise the level of vigilance of the internal security forces on sensitive buildings" including "religious, diplomatic and consular” sites, the daily Le Figaro reported.
www.aa.com.tr/en
