PARIS, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- France will exercise "utmost vigilance" as the recent death of Islamic State (IS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is likely to incite the group's affiliates to commit terrorist acts, local media reported on Monday.
Citing a note sent to French police services, the news channel BFMTV reported that Interior Minister Christophe Castaner had ordered security officers to exercise enhanced vigilance as risks of terrorist attacks remained high in France following al-Baghdadi's death.
"In the coming hours, the possible intensification of jihadist propaganda following this death, possibly calling for acts of revenge, must lead you to utmost vigilance, especially during the public events scheduled in the coming days," Castaner wrote.
On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced that al-Baghdadi killed himself by igniting an explosive vest during an overnight raid by elite U.S. special operations forces in northwest Syria.
Al-Baghdadi, 48, whose real name was Ibrahim Awad al-Badri, declared himself "caliph" over many zones in Iraq and Syria in June 2014.
France has seen several attacks claimed by the Islamic State terrorist group, with the deadliest one occurring in Paris in November 2015, killing 130 people and injuring more than 400.
