Prosecutors in Austria have charged two men with being part of Islamic State as part of ongoing investigations into the Paris attacks.

The 26-year-old Moroccan and 40-year-old Algerian, who were arrested on 18 December, are suspected of helping two other suspects extradited to France earlier this year.

They are said to have assisted the pair through "logistics as well as through gathering information and arranging contacts".

A statement from prosecutors in Salzburg said the men had been charged with "the preparation of ... attacks in Paris as members of IS".

France Battles On In The Wake Of Terror Attack

The other two - 29-year-old Algerian Adel Haddadi and a 35-year-old Pakistani, Mohamad Usman - were sent to France in July.


All four men lived at the same refugee centre in Salzburg.

Detectives believe that Haddadi and Usman travelled to the Greek island of Leros on 3 October last year.

It is thought they were on the same refugee boat as two men, thought to be Iraqis, who blew themselves up outside the Stade de France on November 13.

Haddadi and Usman were detained by the Greek authorities for 25 days because they had falsified Syrian passports, eventually arriving in Austria after the Paris attacks had taken place.

Special Report: Paris Attacks

Meanwhile Salah Abdeslam, who is thought to have played a key role in the terror plot, kept silent during a court hearing in the French capital on Thursday morning.

The 26-year-old refused to attend a similar hearing in July.

His lawyer said his silence was linked to 24-hour surveillance in his cell.

The authorities hope Abdeslam can provide information about Islamic State, and identify others who may have been involved.