Dawn raids as France steels for more attacks

Paris: France staged dozens of raids on suspected extremists on Monday and bombed the Islamic State group in Syria as the prime minister steeled the nation for more bloodshed after its deadliest ever terror attacks.

A traumatised nation stopped for a minute's silence at midday (1630 IST) to honour at least 129 people killed in the unprecedented assault on Paris nightspots. Thousands paused in the capital's streets and President Francois Hollande observed the silence at the Sorbonne University, in recognition of the large number of young victims.

Hiding the tears behind dark glasses, 63-year-old Chantal said in a trembling voice, "It really hurts, all this youth cut down."

"I don't know anyone but at the same time, they were all our children," she said, adding it was important to go out into the streets for the minute's silence "to show we aren't scared."

Investigators identified two more attackers involved in the attack, including a Frenchman previously charged in a "terrorist" case and a suicide bomber found with a Syrian passport, although the authenticity of the document still needs to be verified.

Police conducted "several dozen" raids across France while Belgian police launched a new operation in a radical hotspot in the increasingly international probe.

In the southeastern French city of Lyon, police found "an arsenal of weapons," including a rocket launcher and Kalashnikov assault rifle. More than 100 people have been placed under house arrest, 23 arrested and 31 weapons seized, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said.

As authorities scrambled to find those responsible, the grieving French tried to return to the humdrum of daily life. Shrines that have sprung up at the attacked Bataclan concert hall and restaurants were surrounded by silent mourners bathed in flickering candle light into the early hours of the morning.

Metro trains were packed with commuters, pupils returned to schools and museums opened, although a national state of emergency remained in place. Prime Minister Manuel Valls warned that more attacks could follow.

"We know that operations were being prepared and are still being prepared, not only against France but other European countries too," he told RTL radio. Valls said Friday's attacks were "planned from Syria".