PARIS: A Paris judge has handed preliminary terrorism charges to three women who authorities suspect are part of a female "commando" unit planning imminent attacks in France on behalf of the Islamic State group.

The Paris prosecutor's office said overnight the three women were charged with criminal terrorist association linked to the discovery of an abandoned car full of gas cylinders near Notre Dame Cathedral and with another pending attack.

A 23-year-old man, engaged to one of them, was charged with not reporting a pending terrorist crime to authorities. The four were arrested last week.

Separately, a 15-year-old male teenager, arrested in Paris two days later, was also charged with terrorism. Officials said the boy planned to carry out a knife attack in a public place last weekend.