The number of
French citizens traveling to join Islamic State in 2016 has dropped
drastically from last year, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said on
Tuesday, putting the fall down to military reverses suffered by the
militant group.
With Europe's largest Muslim population, France has been a major center for recruitment of would-be jihadis joining Islamic State, with hundreds of people traveling to the region since the group took control of large swathes of Iraq and Syria.
Speaking to security agents at the ministry, Cazeneuve said there had been a "fourfold decrease" with just 18 French people recorded traveling to the area in the first six months of the year compared with 69 in the corresponding period in 2015.
The depletion, he said, was explained by the group's recent losses on the ground but also by France's "enhanced anti-terrorism efforts."
Read moreFrance sees sharp fall in number of citizens joining Islamic State | Reuters
With Europe's largest Muslim population, France has been a major center for recruitment of would-be jihadis joining Islamic State, with hundreds of people traveling to the region since the group took control of large swathes of Iraq and Syria.
Speaking to security agents at the ministry, Cazeneuve said there had been a "fourfold decrease" with just 18 French people recorded traveling to the area in the first six months of the year compared with 69 in the corresponding period in 2015.
The depletion, he said, was explained by the group's recent losses on the ground but also by France's "enhanced anti-terrorism efforts."
Read moreFrance sees sharp fall in number of citizens joining Islamic State | Reuters
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