French police arrest man suspected of planning New Year's eve attack

[PARIS] Police in south west France have arrested a man suspected of having planned an attack on New Year's eve, a police source said on Wednesday.

Two other people, one of whom is suspected of having planned an attack on police, were arrested in another police raid in south west France, in Toulouse, the police source said.

In France, Britain and Germany, which have all been targets of Islamist militant attacks, police have increased their presence at tourist spots in major cities and other densely populated areas after an attack on a Berlin Christmas market earlier this month.

The man arrested in Cugnaux, west of Toulouse, "is known to (police) services, he is suspected of wanting to carry out an attack on Dec 31," the police source said.

A judicial source also confirmed the arrests and said they had taken place on Tuesday and concerned two separate cases.

REUTERS