A French jihadist named Fabien Clain made the audio recording of the Islamic State group statement claiming the Paris attacks which was published online, a source close to the investigation told AFP.

The 35-year-old is a veteran of radical Islamist networks in the French city of Toulouse and was close to Mohamed Merah who shot dead seven people, including three Jewish children, in 2012.

He was sentenced to five years in prison in 2009 for recruiting jihadists, after which he left for Syria.