Arrest of armed man at Disneyland Paris rattles France on high alert

A man carrying two handguns, ammunition and a Koran was arrested on Thursday at a hotel in Disneyland Paris, and his girlfriend was also held, police sources told AFP.

Hotel security found the weapons and holy book on the man, who had a reservation at the theme park, when he arrived, according to a police source.

A separate police source said that a metal detector had sounded an alarm as the man passed through.

Police were called and arrested the suspect while they secured his vehicle. They then tracked down his girlfriend who was also taken into custody.

Papers found on the suspect indicated that he lived in Paris, however no further details were available about him.

Disneyland Paris is situated about 30 km east of the French capital and is the most visited theme park in Europe, with some 10 million visitors in 2014, according to that year's Global Attractions Attendance Report.

France is on high alert after a devastating terror attack in November saw Islamic State group gunmen and suicide bombers target Paris cafes, a concert hall and the Stade de France national stadium, leaving 130 dead and hundreds injured.

The bloodshed was the second major attack in France within a year, as the country has become a prime target for the militant group operating out of Iraq and Syria.

In January 2015, three days of terror gripped Paris as a series of attacks left 17 people dead, including an attack on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.

France imposed a three-month state of emergency after the November attacks, which President Francois Hollande hopes to extend for another three months, despite fierce opposition from rights activists.