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Islamic State releases video encouraging terror attacks in France

The Islamic State recruitment video comes days after French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve reported a doubling in the number of French citizens joining the Islamic State since January.

By JC Finley
French citizen Maxime Hauchard, pictured in a snapshot of an Islamic State execution video released on Nov. 16, 2014.
French citizen Maxime Hauchard, pictured in a snapshot of an Islamic State execution video released on Nov. 16, 2014.

PARIS, Nov. 20 (UPI) -- The Islamic State has released a video message encouraging Muslims in France to join the terror group.

In the video, four purportedly French men urge those in France who aspire to join IS to travel to Iraq and Syria. For those that cannot travel to the conflict region, they encourage jihadi aspirants to "operate within France."

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"Terrorize them and do not allow them to sleep due to fear and horror... Do whatever you can to humiliate them," a man identified as Abu Salman al-Faranci says in the video.

The men criticize the French government, which is part of the U.S.-led international coalition against IS. "We disbelieve in you and your passports," a masked man says, "and if you come here we will fight you." Some of the men are shown burning what appear to be French passports.

The video follows an announcement by French prosecutors that two of its citizens, Maxime Hauchard and Michaël Dos Santos, both 22, have been identified as IS militants in an execution video of American Peter Kassig.

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French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve on Sunday reported a doubling in the number of French citizens joining the Islamic State since January, which he attributed to the ability of terrorists to use the Internet to reach potential recruits in France.

It is unclear how Hauchard and dos Santos were radicalized.

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