This Is Why France's 'Charlie Hebdo' Saga Is Far From Over

Impact

One day after hundreds of thousands of people in France joined together with a message of unity, the French government is taking steps to a reassure a nervous public that its safety is its top priority.

Authorities announced Monday it's deploying 10,000 soldiers to protect Jewish schools, places of worship and other "sensitive sites," in what Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called "the first mobilization on this scale on our territory," the New York Times reports

The country has been in a state of shock after Islamist militants killed 17 people in a series of attacks last week, including the bloody attack on satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in downtown Paris on Wednesday and a hostage-taking at a kosher grocery store on Friday.

Le Drian told reporters at a Cabinet meeting that the country remains vulnerable to even more attacks. "The threats remain and we have to protect ourselves from them. It is an internal operation that will mobilize almost as many men as we have in our overseas operations," he said, per Reuters. 

The details: France remains on high alert. Law enforcement officials were told to wipe out their social media profiles and carry their weapons at all times because Islamic-linked sleeper cells were activated over the weekend, a source told CNN

In addition to the military show of strength, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said that another 4,700 police officers will fan out to protect France's 717 Jewish schools, in addition to the 4,100 officers already deployed. 

"Synagogues, Jewish schools, but also mosques will be protected, because in the past few days there have been a number of attacks against mosques," Prime Minister Manuel Valls told French news channel BFMTV. Soldiers will also protect transportation hubs, tourist places and conduct street patrols. 

"The threat is still present." Despite the three attackers killed last week, Le Drian said that security officials are still worried about accomplices carrying out more attacks.

Amedy Coulibaly, the 32-year-old gunman who took hostages at a kosher supermarket on Friday, had "undoubtedly" one or more accomplices who pose a threat, a government official said. On Sunday, a frightening video surfaced of him pledging of allegiance to the Islamic State.

The beefed-up security presence will be in place by Tuesday.