Key Facts
- Start date
- January 2015
- Trigger event
- January 2015 Île-de-France attacks
- Peak deployment (2023)
- 7,000 soldiers
- State of emergency period
- 2015–1 November 2017
- Status
- Ongoing
Strategic Narrative Overview
The operation was significantly reinforced after the November 2015 Paris attacks, during which over 130 people were killed. France declared a state of emergency that lasted until November 2017, with Sentinelle operating as a core component of that security framework. Troop numbers fluctuated according to threat levels. On 13 October 2023, following the Arras school stabbing, France raised its security alert to the highest level and deployed 7,000 soldiers the following day.
01 / The Origins
Opération Sentinelle was launched in January 2015 following the Île-de-France attacks, which included the Charlie Hebdo shooting and the Hypercacher kosher supermarket siege. France faced a sustained domestic terrorism threat linked to jihadist networks. The government responded by deploying the military to protect sensitive sites — including religious buildings, schools, and public spaces — marking an unprecedented use of the French army for internal security duties.
03 / The Outcome
The state of emergency ended on 1 November 2017, but Opération Sentinelle continued as a permanent fixture of French domestic security. The operation remains ongoing, with troop deployments adjusted in response to evolving threat assessments. It has become a long-term instrument of French counter-terrorism policy, embedding military personnel in civilian public life to deter and respond to attacks on French soil.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side B
1 belligerent