Saudi Arabian intelligence agencies have warned France of a new terror threat from Al Qaeda, according to French Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux.
Quoting Saudi authorities, Hortefeux said on Monday that there is an imminent threat to Europe, particularly to France, from Al Qaeda. "This is not about overestimating the threat or underestimating it. I am indicating, based on all these elements, that the threat is real", the minister added.
Hortefeux's comments came during a joint television and radio interview in which he also admitted that France has been specifically warned to watch out for AQAP (Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula), a branch of the global terrorist organization.
The AQAP, an outfit that consists of Saudi and Yemeni units of Al Qaeda, has been accused of carrying out a number of deadly strikes in the Arabian peninsula.
The latest terror threat issued to France is not related to an earlier threat conveyed in September.
There haven't been any major attacks on French soil since the bombing of Paris metro station in 1995 that left eight people dead and 36 wounded.
Europe was warned in September of a possible terror plot said to be hatched by militants based in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the increased drone attacks by CIA in Pakistan's tribal regions is seen as part of the efforts to wipe out militants. The volatile area is seen by terror experts as a safe haven for Al Qaeda militants.
