Paris : French anti-terrorism units have detained a group of ultra far-rightists suspected of planning assaults against Muslim community in the country, Interior Minister Gerard Collomb has said.

Collomb on Sunday wrote on Twitter: “Arrest of individuals linked to the ultra-right, suspected of acting,” Xinhua news agency reported.

During police raids in Paris region, Corsica Island and cities in central and southwestern France, ten followers of radical far-right movement were detained at the weekend as part of an inquiry opened on June 14 into plans of attacks targeting Muslims, Le Parisien newspaper reported, citing a source close to the investigation.

Aged between 32 and 69 years, the suspects planned “a violent attack with ill-defined outlines at this stage, targeting people of Muslim faith,” it said.

The 10 men, among them a retired police officer, were unknown to the police and were placed into custody for 96 hours.

—IANS