The Sentinel operation to fight terrorism will "ramp up" as part of the fight against the coronavirus, Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said Friday evening, who answered questions from Internet users via Facebook. "The army, in certain missions, is at the side of our internal security forces" , he underlined, by specifying that the personnel of the Sentinel device "do not check paper but they do security, they are a real support ” .
“We decided that this device is gaining momentum and continues to support us. They will accompany us a little more , " said the minister, who was asked if the army could be mobilized in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus, which gave rise to a measure of containment of the population.
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The Sentinel system has been responsible since 2015 for protecting places particularly exposed to the terrorist risk (tourist places, airports, stations, religious sites ...). There are 7,000 soldiers permanently deployed within the framework of Sentinel and 3,000 others who can be mobilized at any time to punctually strengthen protection. It has already happened that the military system has been adapted to allow the police and gendarmes to be more mobilized on other missions, such as law enforcement.
Christophe Castaner praised the army, "because not only do they support the internal security forces but they also support the medical staff" . "A military hospital will be installed in Alsace in a few days, a military boat will dock tomorrow in Corsica to take care of patients who are in hospitals," he listed.
