France Frees Man Suspected of Wanting to Join Syria Rebels

French authorities have released a man detained this week on suspicion of wanting to go to Syria to fight alongside Islamist rebels, a judicial source said on Friday.

The unidentified 47-year-old was arrested on Tuesday near the eastern city of Belfort but was released late Thursday after investigators found no evidence of a planned departure, the source said.

French Interior Minister Manuel Valls said recently that intelligence services believe about 50 French citizens could currently be fighting with rebels in Syria.