WASHINGTON, January 9 (Sputnik) – The Pentagon has vowed to offer any help to France in the wake of raised terrorist threat in the country, the US Department of Defense said in a statement Friday.
“During the call [between Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian], which had been scheduled for some time, Secretary Hagel conveyed his condolences to Minister Le Drian for the loss of life in this week's terrorist attack and promised him any help that the Department of Defense could provide,” the release said.
Terrorist activity has increased in France as the security alert has been raised to the highest level in the country’s northern region of Picardy and central Ile-de-France.
According to the French authorities, elite French police on Friday released a hostage and killed two terrorists suspected of murdering 12 people at the Charlie Hebdo magazine offices.
On Wednesday, alleged Islamic extremists killed 12 people and injured 11 at office of the Charlie Hebdo satirical weekly in Paris.