French police in 'terror' swoop

Police say the men are involved in recruiting insurgents

The French interior ministry has said it has arrested 11 terror suspects, detaining men in both Paris and south-western France.

Nine are believed to be members of al-Qaeda who helped recruit fighters to take part in Iraq's insurgency.

Two of the men were detained as they arrived at Orly airport, in Paris, late on Tuesday, and the other nine in the Toulouse region on Wednesday.

The nine were reported to have been under surveillance for many months.

"These individuals from the south-west of France are allegedly involved in the organisation of a network that provided jihadists to Iraq," the interior ministry said in a statement.

The two men arrested in Paris were detained after being expelled from Syria where they were trying to cross into Iraq, the AFP news agency said.