UPDATE 11/15/15
A car with Belgian registration plates was spotted close to the Bataclan concert hall. The investigation of the vehicle led to multiple raids in a suburb of Brussels. Belgian Justice Minister Koen Greens announced “a number of” arrests have been made in relation to the Paris attacks. Several other suspects have been detained.
A Syrian passport and an Egyptian passport were found close to two of the attack sites and have been linked to the attacks as well. two of the attackers at the concert hall carried fake Turkish passports.
According to CNN, one of the suicide bombers has been identified as Ismael Omar Mostefai, a 29-year-old who lived in the city of Chartres, southwest of Paris. Another attacker passed through Greek island of Leros with a wave of Syrian refugees. He was identified by fingerprints taken when the he was issued his emergency passport on Leros.
Coordinated attacks across Paris
More than 120 people were killed yesterday in a series of gun and bomb attacks in Paris. More that 180 are still injured, many in critical condition. It is being called the worst attacks to hit the country since World War II. French President François Hollande is calling it “an act of war.”
More than 80 were killed at the Bataclan concert venue where hostages were initially taken. Police were able to storm the venue and release the hostages. Three of the four gunmen that had assaulted the concert hall blew themselves up while the fourth was shot by incoming police. According to a reporter who was there “It lasted for 10 minutes. Ten horrific minutes where everybody was on the floor covering their head.” Another witness claimed to have heard one of the gunmen say “”It’s the fault of Hollande, it’s the fault of your president, he should not have intervened in Syria.”
The jihadist group ISIS has claimed responsibility for these horrific attacks. Group members attacked six different sites on Friday night. In a statement ISIS said “eight brothers wearing explosive belts and carrying assault rifles” had coordinated and carried out the attacks on the chosen targets. The attacks were supposedly a response to France’s involvement in recent air strikes against ISIS. CNN reports that all eight terrorists are dead.
According to the BBC, the six venues that were hit were:
La Belle Equipe, 92 rue de Charonne, 11th district – at least 19 dead in gun attacks
Le Carillon bar and Le Petit Cambodge restaurant at rue Alibert, 10th district – at least 12 dead in gun attacks
La Casa Nostra restaurant, 92 rue de la Fontaine au Roi, 11th district – at least 5 dead in gun attacks
Stade de France, St Denis, just north of Paris – explosions heard outside venue, three attackers dead
Bataclan concert venue, 50 Boulevard Voltaire, 11th district – stormed by four gunmen, at least 80 dead
French President Hollande declared a state of emergency Friday night and shut down all borders. He has vowed that France “Will be pitiless in its response to the Islamic State militants,” he said, vowing to “use all means within the law.. on every battleground here and abroad together with our allies.”
Please check back for more updates. You can also follow the BBC’s live update feed here.
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