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Multiple Attacks Hit Paris Area in Night of Deadly Terror | |
(35 minutes later) | |
PARIS — France reeled Friday night from a shooting rampage, explosions and mass hostage-taking that convulsed the Paris area in what the president called an unprecedented terrorist attack on his country. His government closed the borders and mobilized the military in a national emergency. | |
French television and news services quoted the police as saying at least 60 people had been killed and many dozens wounded in at least four apparently coordinated attacks, far eclipsing the deaths and mayhem that roiled Paris in the Charlie Hebdo massacre and related assaults around the French capital less than a year ago. | |
One of the explosions struck near the country’s main sports stadium where Germany and France were playing a soccer match, forcing a hasty evacuation of President François Hollande. As the scope of the assaults quickly became clear, he convened an emergency cabinet meeting and announced France was closing its borders. | |
“As I speak, terrorist attacks of an unprecedented scale are taking place in the Paris region,” he said in a nationally televised address. “There are several dozen dead, lots more wounded, it’s horrific.” | |
Mr. Hollande said on his orders the government had “mobilized all the forces we can muster to neutralize the threats and secure all of the areas.” | |
President Obama in Washington came to the White House Briefing room to express solidarity and offer aid and condolences. “Once again, we’ve seen an outrageous attempt to terrorize innocent civilians,” he said. “This is an attack not just on Paris, it’s an attack not just on the people of France, but this is an attack on all of humanity and the universal values that we share.” | |
There was no claim of responsibility, but Twitter erupted with celebratory messages by members and sympathizers of the Islamic State, the extremist group based in Syria and Iraq that is under assault by major powers including the United States, France and Russia. | |
The main shooting appeared to have broken out at a popular concert hall, The Bataclan, where the American band the Eagles of Death Metal was playing, and French news services said as many as 100 hostages may have been taken there. | |
A witness quoted by BFM television said he heard rounds of automatic rifle fire and someone shouting “Allahu akbar!” at The Bataclan. | A witness quoted by BFM television said he heard rounds of automatic rifle fire and someone shouting “Allahu akbar!” at The Bataclan. |
The police were ordering bystanders in the that area to get off the streets, French television reported. | The police were ordering bystanders in the that area to get off the streets, French television reported. |
French news media reported that Kalashnikov rifles had been involved in the shootings — a favored weapon of militants who have attacked targets in France — and that many rounds had been fired. | French news media reported that Kalashnikov rifles had been involved in the shootings — a favored weapon of militants who have attacked targets in France — and that many rounds had been fired. |
The shootings occurred near the former headquarters of Charlie Hebdo, the satirical newspaper where shootings by Islamic militants traumatized France in January. | |
Police sirens sounded throughout central Paris on Friday night. | Police sirens sounded throughout central Paris on Friday night. |