France marks decade since harrowing Paris attacks

President Emmanuel Macron will preside over several ceremonies in remembrance of the 130 people killed by jihadists on Nov 13, 2015, writes AFP

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France marks a decade this week since suffering its worst attack, with the only surviving attacker jailed for life and plans for a long-term memorial.

Jihadists killed 130 people in shootings and suicide bombings in and around Paris on the night of Nov 13, 2015, with the Islamic State group claiming responsibility.

The attackers killed around 90 people at the Bataclan concert hall, where the US band Eagles of Death Metal was playing.

They ended the lives of dozens more at Parisian restaurants and cafes, and one person near the Stade de France football stadium just outside the capital, where crowds were watching France play Germany.

"France over these years has been able to stand united and overcome it all," Francois Hollande, who was president at the time, told AFP in a recent interview.

Several ceremonies are to mark 10 years since the attacks on Thursday, with President Emmanuel Macron expected to speak.

The sole surviving member of the 10-person jihadist cell that staged the attacks, 36-year-old Salah Abdeslam, is serving life in jail, after nine fellow attackers blew themselves up or were killed by police.