EUROPOL REPORT REVEALS FRANCE TERROR CAPITAL OF EU





Three people were killed, there were 63 terrorist attacks and 225 arrests for terror-related offences.



Those are the figures taken from the 2013 end-of-year report into terrorist activity in France, that easily make it the country in Europe most affected by extremist attacks.



In all seven people were killed across Europe last year - three Kurdish women in Paris, a British soldier in London and two members of a far-right extremist group in Athens.



Europol's report, released on Wednesday, revealed the "continuing terrorist threat posed to the security of citizens and interests of the European Union".



"Be it right or left-wing extremism, separatism or religiously-motivated acts, we need to step up our work to respond to the threat of radicalization. Radicalization leading to violent terrorism is a gradual process and does not happen overnight. In times when populist movements and xenophobic winds are sweeping across Europe, it is more important than ever to keep this in mind." says Commissioner Cecilia Malmström.



But that threat appears to be most prominent in France.



The 63 attacks related to terrorism in France were out of a total of 152 across Europe, the UK was ranked second with 35 incidents and Spain third with 33 (see map below for other countries).



Those attacks in France included:



The gunning down of three high-ranking members of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Paris, in January 2013.




A French soldier targeted in a non-fatal knife attack in La Défense near Paris, by an individual who converted to Islam and was radicalized.



The 225 arrests in France represented almost half of the total of 525 arrests across Europe in 2013 and put the country far ahead of Spain on 99 and the UK on 77.


Those arrests included:



In March 2013, weapons and explosive material found at the homes of three suspects arrested in Marignane, who reportedly sought to emulate Toulouse gunman Mohamed Merah.



In October 2013, three individuals linked to the group responsible for a 2012 grenade attack on a Jewish grocery store in Paris were arrested. Material said to be for intended terrorist attacks was also found.

In February 2013 17 Kurds were arrested on suspicion of raising funds for the PKK.



Over half of the arrests in France were for religious inspired terrorism as the map below demonstrates, many of which were related to financing and recruitment.









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