DAKAR, Senegal (AP) — Senegal's spokesman for the Ministry of Justice says that police questioned about 900 people over a couple of days as part of a heightened security operation after attacks by jihadis in Burkina Faso and Mali.

Soro Diop said Tuesday that the operation by police in both the Dakar and Thies regions starting Friday resulted in arrests of about 520 people for offenses ranging from holding drugs or counterfeit currency to not having proper documentation for vehicles.

Diop said police took the measures in response to the growing threat of extremism in the region. He said Senegal has taken increased security measures since the attack on a hotel in Bamako, Mali last year that killed 20 people.

Despite Senegal's reputation as a peaceful country, Diop warned that residents must stay vigilant.