Paris attacks mastermind 'linked to four foiled plots'

The suspected ringleader of the Paris attacks who was killed during Wednesday's dramatic police shoot-out was linked to four foiled terror plots in France this year, the country's interior minister has said.

Bernard Cazeneuve said French authorities had no information that Islamic State (IS) jihadist Abdelhamid Abaaoud was in France before Friday's massacre which left 129 dead.

He told a press conference: "Amongst six attacks foiled or avoided by the French intelligence services since spring of 2015, Abaaoud was involved in four of them."

Mr Cazeneuve said the French government was only informed on Monday of Abaaoud's whereabouts by an intelligence service "outside of Europe".