Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve made the announcement saying French intelligence services believed the men wanted to join 'Islamic State' (IS) and that their departure for Syria was "imminent."

The passports and identity cards of the six individuals have been confiscated for six months. The men have the right to appeal against the measure in court. The order can also be renewed.

French media reported that some of the men were reported to authorities by family members on a new telephone hotline. Others were discovered through police investigations.

Cazeneuve said that 40 other French citizens were to face similar travel bans over the coming weeks.

The French government adopted new counter-terrorism legislation last November, and in January 2015, Prime Minister Manuel Valls publicly announced the adoption of new measures to combat terrorism.

There are some 400 French citizens already in Syria, while 180 have returned to France, 200 are trying to reach Syria and a further 200 are in Europe trying to get into the country, the Reuters news agency quoted a source in the security forces as saying.

In January, 17 people were killed in attacks on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and on a Jewish supermarket.

France also announced it has deployed the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle to the Persian Gulf. Planes are to be deployed against IS positions in Iraq, according to the Defense Ministry. The first Rafale fighter took off from the carrier on Monday near the north coast of Bahrain.

jm/gsw (Reuters, AFP)