Friday, November 13, 2015

Paris has been rocked by a string of deadly attacks in seven locations, leaving at least 120 people dead. Live updates.



Paris has been rocked by a string of deadly attacks, leaving at least 120 people dead in several locations. (France24 - Liberation).

Here is what French president François Hollande told reporters outside the Bataclan concert hall just now: "To all those who have seen these awful things, I want to say we are going to lead a war which will be pitiless. Because when terrorists are capable of committing such atrocities they must be certain that they are facing a determined France, a united France, a France that is together and does not let itself be moved, even if today we express infinite sorrow."
At least 120 people are reported to have died in a string of attacks that began Friday evening just after 10 p.m. local time in at least six locations in and around Paris.Four attackers were killed.

Here's what we know so far:
AFP is now reporting that eight terrorists were killed overnight in Paris, citing a source close to the investigation
Police have reported four of the hostage takers killed as elite units brought their operation at the Bataclan concert hall to an end.

President François Hollande has declared a state of emergency and ordered national borders closed.

Police have set up a special emergency number to call if you need help: 197.

According to the Paris prosecutor, of the four assailants who died during the sidge at the Bataclan, three committed suicide by detonating explosive vests. The prosecutor has warned that some of their accomplices may "still be on the loose".

A French radio reporter who was inside the Bataclan theatre that came under attack Friday gave a harrowing account of the "10 horrific minutes" when black-clothed gunmen wielding AK-47s entered and fired calmly and randomly at hundreds of screaming concertgoers.

"It was a bloodbath," Julien Pierce, a reporter for France's Europe 1 radio station, told CNN.

"People yelled, screamed and everybody lying on the floor, and it lasted for 10 minutes, 10 minutes, 10 horrific minutes where everybody was on the floor covering their head(s)."

"We heard so many gunshots and the terrorists were very calm, very determined and they reloaded three or four times their weapons and they didn't shout anything. They didn't say anything."

[Google Translated]:

Attacks, seven in total according to a source at the top of the state, erupted Friday night after 21 hours in the X th and XI th arrondissement of Paris, especially near the rue Bichat, in Bataclan and its surroundings, making the least 120 dead, according to a source close to the investigation, and dozens injured.

At the bar "Le Carillon", a journalist from Liberation locally referred to a "nightmare". This was the first attack. Boulevard Voltaire, Bataclan, several shots were also heard. Testimonies speak five or six shooters, not hooded.

On the first attack, at least Edux shooters were seen. They reportedly fired in the bar before fleeing. This would have occurred around 9:20 p.m., the men fired two bursts of automatic weapons, the other for the restaurant "Little Cambodia" opposite. "It lasted terribly long."

A witness to the attack of Bataclan Shooting testifies :

"It is the fault of Holland, it does not have to intervene in Syria!". This is what the attackers shouted in the Bataclan in Paris, according to testimony gathered by AFP.

"It was perhaps an hour until the concert of Eagles of Death Metal began, we heard gunfire downstairs in the den. At first we thought it was part of the show but we soon realized, says Pierre Janaszak, 35, radio host and TV. They were three and I think they just pulled into the pile. They were armed with big guns, I guess this is the Kalashnikov, it's been one hell of racket. They kept shooting. There was blood everywhere, bodies everywhere. We hear screaming, everyone tries to flee, people trampled, it was hell. "

According to him "types were not hooded, they do not talk, they just fired into the crowd without stopping. I feel they had a lot of ammunition. "He recounts having locked in the toilet upstairs, and heard the attackers speak with twenty hostages, evoking the French intervention in Syria in Iraq. The witness continued: "Then we heard shooting when the police intervened. It pulled in all directions, there still were explosions. The police opened the door [toilet] and told us to get out. They asked me to put myself shirtless before going out, to make sure I did not have a bomb on me. "

Bataclan, the concert hall, where were playing the Eagles of Death Metal, a "big bang", and some twenty shots were heard by witnesses on the spot. An assault was triggered by the security forces without that we know for now if a hostage took place or if the assault resulted in the neutralization of attackers, nor the number exact casualties.

Other reported at the same time, only men had opened fire on a street Charonne cafe terrace, stating: ". We heard more than 100 shots" The attack targeted the corner of the rue de Charonne and Faidherbe street.

Moreover, two or three explosions sounded almost at the same time near the Stade de France, not that we know for now if these two events are related.

According to sources close to the investigation quoted by AFP, four assailants reportedly died tonight. The news agency spoke of previously three dead attackers.

French police say they believe all of the attackers involved shootings and bombings in Paris are dead. Micheal Cadot, the head of Paris police said Saturday that while all of the attackers are believed to have died, authorities are searching for possible accomplices.










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