France thwarts "violent act", targets not identified: prosecutor

French police foiled "violent attacks" ahead of presidency contest after arresting two radicalized men in Marseille of south France, Paris prosecutor said Tuesday.

"The collected elements show that the two men prepared an imminent and violent act on French territory but without being able to determine at this stage the date or the targets," Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said.

The attackers' presumed targets were not identified yet, according to the prosecutor.

Several weapons, including a machine gun and two hand guns in addition to three and kilos of TATP and other bomb-making materials were found during a police raid in the two suspect's apartment they had rented in the French city.

The two Frenchmen, 24-year-old Clement Baur and 30-year-old Mahiedine Merabet, were on the police watch list for radicalization. They had met while sharing a cell during a jail term for public offenses.

State flag and jihadist propaganda had previously been found at Merabet home during a search operation last year.

Earlier on Tuesday, French Interior Minister Matthias Fekl said French police held two individuals "on suspicion of planning violent act on the eve of presidential election", without giving further details.

According to local reports, main presidential candidates, Emmanuel Macron, Marine Le Pan and Francois Fillon have have been warned of the risk of an eventual attack.

A total of 50,000 policemen and gendarmes will be mobilized during the two rounds of presidential elections on April 23 and May 7, the French interior minister said.

France remains in a state of emergency and on high alert over possible terrorist attacks. A group of terrorists killed 130 people in a series of explosions and shootings in November 2015. Endit