France is on high security alert after threats made by the Islamic State militant movement.

Soldiers are patrolling key sites, as Paris vows to continue its fight against the militants.

French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said: “Iraq has called on us to help with air support for the military action on the ground by the Iraqi troops and the troops from Kurdistan, and of course we will continue airstrikes in the coming days.”

The militants have called on Muslims to attack people from countries taking part in the airstrikes in Iraq and Syria; this week a French man was taken hostage in Algeria.

French citizens living overseas have been receiving text messages from their embassies, urging them to be extremely careful.