France extends anti-terror border controls to April 2018

A Spanish police officers deploys a "spike- strip" as he controls vehicles on the Spanish-French border in August 2017. PHOTO: AFP

PARIS (AFP) - France will extend checks at borders with fellow Schengen members until April 30, the interior ministry said on Thursday (Oct 12), citing the "persistent" terror threat to prolong controls in place since the November 2015 Paris attacks.

The controls at borders with members of the visa-free Schengen area such as Italy and Belgium, will "respect the principle of proportionality", the ministry said in a note to the EU dated Oct 3.

"Risk analysis... confirms the existence of a persistent level of threat," the ministry said, adding that it fears the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militant group is planning further attacks on French soil.

ISIS claimed the coordinated series of attacks on Paris nightspots and the national sports stadium on Nov 13, 2015, which were planned from Brussels.

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