‘Massive’ French police deployment arrives to secure New Caledonia

French police reinforcements have started arriving in New Caledonia as part of a massive operation to regain control of the capital Noumea, the top French official in the Pacific island territory said on Friday.

The number of police and gendarmes on the French-ruled island will rise to 2,700 from 1,700 by Friday evening.

After rioting that began on Monday resulting in four deaths and hundreds of arrests, Thursday night was relatively calm, France’s High Commissioner Louis Le Franc told reporters in a televised press conference.