Charlie Hebdo publishes new issue featuring Prophet Muhammad

PanARMENIAN.Net - The new edition of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo has gone on sale, with a cartoon depicting the Prophet Muhammad on its cover, BBC News reports.

Three million copies are being printed - a week after Islamist gunmen murdered eight journalists at the magazine and four other people in Paris.

The cartoon shows the Prophet weeping while holding a sign saying "Je suis Charlie" ("I am Charlie").

It is believed earlier cartoons of the Prophet prompted the attack. The slogan "Je suis Charlie" has been widely used following the shootings.

In a separate attack in Paris two days later, four Jewish men died after an Islamist gunmen took hostages at a kosher shop in the French capital. A police woman was shot dead in a third shooting believed to have been carried out by the same attacker.

Referring to last week's shocking events, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said his country was at war with extremism and terrorism - but not with Muslims.

He was speaking on Tuesday after funeral ceremonies were held for seven of the victims in France and Israel.

France has deployed 10,000 troops at various sites across the country - including synagogues, mosques and airports - in response to the attacks.