According to reports from AP, Belgian Abdelhamid Abaaoud was identified by a French official as the suspected mastermind behind Paris terror attacks. Abdelhamid Abaaoud is reported to be in Syria. After the Paris attacks, Police carried out raids across France at homes of suspected Islamist militants.

A total of 129 people were killed due to the Paris carnage. This led to the calls for the European Union to close entry at borders to asylum seekers.

Prime Minister Manuel Valls, who warned that new violence could hit France, said that the attacks claimed by the Islamic State in retaliation for French airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, would never win.

Journalists were told by the interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve on Monday that 23 people were arrested by the police who seized arms including rocket launchers in a total of 168 raids overnight. He added that more 104 people were put under house arrest.

Cazeneuve said, "Let this be clear to everyone, this is just the beginning, these actions are going to continue.”

A source close to the investigation said that Abdelhamid Abaaoud, who is a Belgian national and is currently in Syria, was suspected to have ordered the Paris operation. The source told Reuters that, "He appears to be the brains behind several planned attacks in Europe."

According to Valls, French intelligence services had prevented five attacks since summer.

"We know that more attacks are being prepared, not just against France but also against other European countries," Valls told RTL radio. "We are going to live with this terrorist threat for a long time."

-Sumana