France says the authorities in Saudi Arabia have warned about a potential Islamist terrorist threat to Europe, particularly France.
In an interview on French radio and television on October 17, Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux said the Saudi warning of a potential attack was received "in the last few hours, few days."
He said Saudi security services had indicated that the Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula branch was "possibly active or planned to be active," and was targeting Europe, "in particular France."
The minister added that France's security alert level remained at one level below the highest level.
In the past weeks, Western security officials have warned that Al-Qaeda may be planning attacks in Europe.
France began increasing security last month at busy tourist sites like Notre Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
compiled from agency reports