Security Alert in France

France tightens security

Extremist Islamists have threatened to attack the French, and French President Francois Hollande made it clear Saturday that he sharpens safety.

France's president has ordered stricter security, surveillance of public buildings and transport systems, as a result of its military operations against radical Islamists in Mali and Somalia.

President Francois Hollande says France must take all necessary precautions against a terrorist threat.

Saturday France made an unsuccessful attempt to free a French hostage in Somalia, while the country's fighter jets bombed Islamists gaining ground in Mali.

In addition threatened extremist Islamists Saturday with attacks against the French in Muslim countries.

The French leader asked for enhanced monitoring of France's national security system Vigipirate, which was established in 1978 and has been updated several times.

Vigipirate system has four different threat levels defined by five different colors, namely white, yellow, orange, red and scarlet. White means no danger and is therefore not a threat level. Despite past warnings from Hollande, however current red threat level be maintained.

The system's different levels trigger specific security measures, such as increased patrols of police and joint patrolling by police and military in the subway system, train stations and other vulnerable places.

Hollande: - Our mission is not over

Francois Hollande made it clear Saturday that France will continue its military involvement in Mali to prepare for an African-led action.

- We have already stopped the progress of our enemies, and inflicted on them heavy losses. But our mission is not over yet, Hollande said at a news conference Saturday night.

Friday chose France to enter military support to Mali's government in the fight against the Islamists, who for over half a year has controlled the north of Mali. France continued to launch air strikes to halt a possible advance by Islamists against Mali's capital Bamako.

Hollande warning that the operation will continue for the next few days, but it will be limited to supporting the regional West African force.

Neighbouring countries contribute

Saturday, it was also clear that Mali's neighboring Senegal, Niger and Burkina Faso will send 500 soldiers each to Mali to support the international operation.

It is the regional organization ECOWAS cooperation to coordinate efforts to defeat the Islamists in northern Mali.

The deployment of ECOWAS forces begin the weekend.

Friday and Saturday were fighting concentrated on the important city Konner, where a hundred Islamist warriors should be killed.

- We check now certainly the city, said Lieutenant Ousmane Tab from regional command center in Mopti.

- Ten civilians, including children, are killed

Saturday, it was reported that at least ten civilians, including three children, have been killed in fighting in Konner in Mali, according to advocacy group Human Rights Watch (HRW).

- Residents of Konner have told Human Rights Watch that about ten civilians were killed in the fighting, including three children who drowned when they tried to cross the river to reach safety, said Corinne Dufka of HRW.

She adds that other children who are recruited by Islamists Gao, is wounded and may have been killed in the fighting.

Prompts for momentum

The UN Security Council has previously adopted a resolution allowing for an international intervention in Mali and France told the Security Council on Friday to speed up the deployment .

Also, the U.S. is now considering to provide intelligence support from surveillance drones and information sharing, refueling the aircraft and other logistical support.

Meanwhile heralds a spokesman for extremist group Ansar Dine at France's commitment sets French hostages and other Frenchmen in danger.

- This has consequences not only for French hostages, but also for all French citizens wherever they may be located in the Muslim world, said spokesman Sanda Ould Boumama.

 Hostages will die

Ansar Dine, which stands as the strongest in the city of Timbuktu in northern Mali, are allied with Al Qaeda's wing in North Africa, AQIM. Also AQIM fight against the Malian forces.

AQIM and the group's allies are currently eight French hostage in the sparsely populated Sahel region after a series of kidnappings.

- The hostages will die. Francois Hollande seems to wish that the hostages will die. He has chosen a war solution so that the hostages will be killed, rather than negotiate, says Bouman.

France has asked the 6000 French in Mali to leave the country.