DHAKA: World leaders are gathering in Paris ahead of a march in the French capital to show unity after three days of terror that left 17 people dead.

Some 40 leaders are to go to the rally, expected to dwarf Saturday marches that saw 700,000 take to the streets.

About 2,000 police officers and 1,350 soldiers are being deployed across the French capital to protect marchers.

Police are seeking accomplices of the gunmen who attacked a satirical magazine and a kosher supermarket.

The interior minister says France will stay on high alert in the coming weeks.

Bernard Cazeneuve will host a meeting on Sunday morning of fellow interior ministers from across Europe, including the UK’s Theresa May, to discuss the threat posed by militants, reports the BBC.

Cazeneuve promised ‘exceptional measures’ for the massive unity march in Paris on Sunday, including positioning snipers on roofs.

The foreign leaders expected to attend the rally include UK prime minister David Cameron, German chancellor Angela Merkel, Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The march, which will be led by relatives of the victims of last week’s attacks, will leave Place de la Republique at 15:00 local time (14:00 GMT).

More than a million people are expected to take part.

BDST: 1216 HRS, JAN 11, 2015