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Police Conduct Raid Near Paris in Search for Planner of Attacks; 5 Arrested Police Conduct Raid Near Paris in Search for Planner of Attacks; 5 Arrested
(35 minutes later)
PARIS — After a series of gun battles early Wednesday, the French police arrested five suspects hiding out in an apartment in the northern Paris suburb of St.-Denis in an operation aimed at detaining the Belgian militant suspected of organizing the attacks that killed 129 people on Friday. One woman died in the police assault when she detonated an explosive vest. ST.-DENIS, France — After a series of gun battles early Wednesday, the French police arrested five suspects hiding out in an apartment in this northern Paris suburb in an operation aimed at detaining the Belgian militant suspected of organizing the terrorist attacks. One woman died in the raid, when she detonated an explosive vest.
The raid began at 4:20 a.m., the Paris prosecutor’s office said, as special police forces, backed by truckloads of soldiers, cordoned off an area near Place Jean Jaurès, a main square in St.-Denis not far from the Stade de France, where three of the seven attackers who died on Friday blew themselves up. The shooting went on for 20 minutes, residents said, and continued in bursts until 7:30 a.m., when there were several explosions and gunfire.The raid began at 4:20 a.m., the Paris prosecutor’s office said, as special police forces, backed by truckloads of soldiers, cordoned off an area near Place Jean Jaurès, a main square in St.-Denis not far from the Stade de France, where three of the seven attackers who died on Friday blew themselves up. The shooting went on for 20 minutes, residents said, and continued in bursts until 7:30 a.m., when there were several explosions and gunfire.
Three men hiding out in the apartment were taken in by the police, the prosecutor’s office said, without identifying any of the three. A man and a woman were also captured near the apartment and have been taken in, the authorities said. Five police officers were lightly wounded, the police said. Three men hiding out in the apartment were taken in by the police, the prosecutor’s office said, without identifying any of the three. A man and a woman were also captured near the apartment and have been taken in, the authorities said. Five police officers were lightly wounded, and a 7-year-old police dog, a Malinois named Diesel, was killed.
A resident of the area, Djamila Khaldi, a 54-year-old cashier, said she was not surprised the police had tracked the suspects to the neighborhood. She said a friend had seen one of the wanted men, Salah Abdeslam, on Monday. “She was terrified and she looked at another woman knowing that she recognized him too,” Ms. Khaldi said. “They did not dare to go to the police. You know here if you say something. I am really afraid of what is going to happen next.” St.-Denis, a suburb of 118,000 people, is known for its melting-pot population and large Muslim community, as well as a Gothic basilica that is the final resting place of many French monarchs.
Mr. Abdeslam is believed to have escaped to Brussels after the attacks and is the subject of an intense international manhunt. Djamila Khaldi, a 54-year-old cashier who lives near the basilica, was preparing to take her daughter to the airport when the gunfire erupted.
The French news media reported that the location of the fugitives’ hide-out was gleaned from one of the militants’ cellphones, which was discovered in a trash bin near the Bataclan concert hall where 89 people died on Friday. Ms. Khaldi said was not surprised the police had tracked the suspects to the neighborhood. She said a friend of hers believed she had seen one of the wanted men, Salah Abdeslam, on Monday. “She was terrified and she looked at another woman knowing that she recognized him too,” Ms. Khaldi said. “They did not dare to go to the police..”
Mr. Abdeslam was thought to have escaped to Brussels after the attacks, which killed 129 people. He is the subject of an intense international manhunt, along with a second suspect. It was not immediately clear on Wednesday morning whether that suspect is the same as Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the Belgian militant suspected of organizing the attacks.
The French news media reported that the location of the fugitives’ hide-out was gleaned from one of the militants’ cellphones, which was discovered in a trash bin near the Bataclan concert hall, where 89 people died on Friday.
A man arrested on Wednesday during the police operation later told Agence France-Presse that he had lent the apartment to the militants as a favor to a friend. “I said that there was no mattress, they told me ‘It’s not a problem,’ they just wanted water and to pray,” the man said before being handcuffed and led away by the police.A man arrested on Wednesday during the police operation later told Agence France-Presse that he had lent the apartment to the militants as a favor to a friend. “I said that there was no mattress, they told me ‘It’s not a problem,’ they just wanted water and to pray,” the man said before being handcuffed and led away by the police.
Prime Minister Manuel Valls and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve joined President François Hollande at the Élysée Palace on Wednesday morning to monitor the operation.Prime Minister Manuel Valls and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve joined President François Hollande at the Élysée Palace on Wednesday morning to monitor the operation.
The prosecutor’s office said the target of the operation was Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the Belgian militant suspected of organizing the attacks, but did not say immediately whether he was in the apartment at the time of the raid. The office fo the Paris prosecutor, François Molins, confirmed that the target of the operation was Mr. Abaaoud, who is 27 or 28, but it was not clear if he was in the apartment at the time of the raid.
On Tuesday, French and American intelligence officials said they believed that Mr. Abaaoud was in Syria with fellow Islamic State militants, but on Wednesday morning, several TV stations, citing unnamed police sources, said that Mr. Abaaoud might be one of the men holed up in St.-Denis.On Tuesday, French and American intelligence officials said they believed that Mr. Abaaoud was in Syria with fellow Islamic State militants, but on Wednesday morning, several TV stations, citing unnamed police sources, said that Mr. Abaaoud might be one of the men holed up in St.-Denis.
Some of the militants in the Friday night attacks rented a house in the northeast Paris suburb of Bobigny last week, telling the landlady they were businessmen from Belgium, and a hotel suite in the southeast Paris suburb of Alfortville, officials said.Some of the militants in the Friday night attacks rented a house in the northeast Paris suburb of Bobigny last week, telling the landlady they were businessmen from Belgium, and a hotel suite in the southeast Paris suburb of Alfortville, officials said.
France conducted another series of airstrikes late Tuesday and into Wednesday in Raqqa, Syria, the stronghold of the Islamic State. More than 25 explosions struck Raqqa late Wednesday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group in Britain that has a network of contacts in Syria.France conducted another series of airstrikes late Tuesday and into Wednesday in Raqqa, Syria, the stronghold of the Islamic State. More than 25 explosions struck Raqqa late Wednesday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group in Britain that has a network of contacts in Syria.
Many of the strikes hit deserted areas that had already been struck before; but there were also casualties reported, in addition to property damage, the observatory said.Many of the strikes hit deserted areas that had already been struck before; but there were also casualties reported, in addition to property damage, the observatory said.
France, through its defense minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, took the extraordinary step on Tuesday of invoking a European Union treaty that obliges members to help any member that is “the victim of armed aggression on its territory.”France, through its defense minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, took the extraordinary step on Tuesday of invoking a European Union treaty that obliges members to help any member that is “the victim of armed aggression on its territory.”
Mr. Hollande took steps to shore up global support for what he has called a war to annihilate the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL. He met with Secretary of State John Kerry, who expressed sympathy but reiterated the Obama administration’s view that the group would not be destroyed until Syria’s embattled president, Bashar al-Assad, leaves power.Mr. Hollande took steps to shore up global support for what he has called a war to annihilate the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL. He met with Secretary of State John Kerry, who expressed sympathy but reiterated the Obama administration’s view that the group would not be destroyed until Syria’s embattled president, Bashar al-Assad, leaves power.
Mr. Hollande will visit Washington and Moscow next week to meet with Mr. Obama and the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin. In Britain, Prime Minister David Cameron told Parliament that the Paris attacks had strengthened the case for intervening against the Islamic State in Syria, a move that Parliament rejected in 2013.Mr. Hollande will visit Washington and Moscow next week to meet with Mr. Obama and the Russian president, Vladimir V. Putin. In Britain, Prime Minister David Cameron told Parliament that the Paris attacks had strengthened the case for intervening against the Islamic State in Syria, a move that Parliament rejected in 2013.
On France’s third and final day of national mourning, crowds gathered to light candles and lay flowers at the Place de la République and at makeshift memorials at the sites of the attacks. In the southwestern city of Toulouse, thousands gathered in the central square, waving French flags and singing “La Marseillaise,” the national anthem.On France’s third and final day of national mourning, crowds gathered to light candles and lay flowers at the Place de la République and at makeshift memorials at the sites of the attacks. In the southwestern city of Toulouse, thousands gathered in the central square, waving French flags and singing “La Marseillaise,” the national anthem.
“The terrorists want to erase everything: culture, youth, life, and also history and memory,” Mr. Hollande said in a speech at a Unesco conference in Paris.“The terrorists want to erase everything: culture, youth, life, and also history and memory,” Mr. Hollande said in a speech at a Unesco conference in Paris.
“You do not fight against terrorism by hiding, by putting your life on hold, by suspending economic, social and cultural life, by banning concerts, theater, sports competitions,” he said. “We will not yield to terrorism by suspending our way of life.”“You do not fight against terrorism by hiding, by putting your life on hold, by suspending economic, social and cultural life, by banning concerts, theater, sports competitions,” he said. “We will not yield to terrorism by suspending our way of life.”
Many Parisians and visitors followed his advice, flocking to restaurants, cafes and museums in an effort to carry on with normal life. But the country continued to reel from the attacks, the worst violence on French soil in decades. Officials said the bodies of 117 of the 129 people killed had been positively identified; 221 of the 352 people injured remained in hospitals, 57 in intensive care.Many Parisians and visitors followed his advice, flocking to restaurants, cafes and museums in an effort to carry on with normal life. But the country continued to reel from the attacks, the worst violence on French soil in decades. Officials said the bodies of 117 of the 129 people killed had been positively identified; 221 of the 352 people injured remained in hospitals, 57 in intensive care.
The country remained under a state of emergency, as developments in the investigation emerged in a steady trickle.The country remained under a state of emergency, as developments in the investigation emerged in a steady trickle.
In the morning, the authorities seized a black Renault Clio with Belgian license plates in the 18th Arrondissement on the northern edge of Paris, next to the suburb of St.-Denis, where three suicide bombers detonated their explosives during a soccer game at the Stade de France. Authorities are looking into the possibility that the vehicle might have been intended for yet another attack.In the morning, the authorities seized a black Renault Clio with Belgian license plates in the 18th Arrondissement on the northern edge of Paris, next to the suburb of St.-Denis, where three suicide bombers detonated their explosives during a soccer game at the Stade de France. Authorities are looking into the possibility that the vehicle might have been intended for yet another attack.
On Tuesday night, the authorities released a photo of one of the stadium bombers — who used a Syrian passport to enter Greece last month, evidently posing as a migrant — and asked for the public’s help in identifying him. The passport was probably stolen, and the identity on the passport page — Ahmad al-Mohammad, 25, of Idlib, Syria — may be that of a dead Syrian soldier, the French official said.On Tuesday night, the authorities released a photo of one of the stadium bombers — who used a Syrian passport to enter Greece last month, evidently posing as a migrant — and asked for the public’s help in identifying him. The passport was probably stolen, and the identity on the passport page — Ahmad al-Mohammad, 25, of Idlib, Syria — may be that of a dead Syrian soldier, the French official said.
The authorities said the car had been seen — it was not clear when, or who drove it — on the A1 highway, which connects the suburbs of Paris with the northeastern city of Lille, about a dozen miles from the Belgian border.The authorities said the car had been seen — it was not clear when, or who drove it — on the A1 highway, which connects the suburbs of Paris with the northeastern city of Lille, about a dozen miles from the Belgian border.
In Belgium, the authorities put the country at its highest alert level. They charged two men — Hamza Attou, 21, a Brussels native, and Mohamed Amri, 27, who was born in Morocco — with participating in a terrorist activity, saying they had driven Mr. Abdeslam, the fugitive, from Paris to Brussels.In Belgium, the authorities put the country at its highest alert level. They charged two men — Hamza Attou, 21, a Brussels native, and Mohamed Amri, 27, who was born in Morocco — with participating in a terrorist activity, saying they had driven Mr. Abdeslam, the fugitive, from Paris to Brussels.
The two men frequented a bar owned by Mr. Abdeslam and his brother Ibrahim, who blew himself up at a restaurant on Friday in one of the attacks. The brothers lived in the Brussels district of Molenbeek, also the base for Mr. Abaaoud, the Belgian believed to have planned the attacks. A third brother, Mohamed, who was not involved in the assaults, publicly appealed on Tuesday for Salah to turn himself in.The two men frequented a bar owned by Mr. Abdeslam and his brother Ibrahim, who blew himself up at a restaurant on Friday in one of the attacks. The brothers lived in the Brussels district of Molenbeek, also the base for Mr. Abaaoud, the Belgian believed to have planned the attacks. A third brother, Mohamed, who was not involved in the assaults, publicly appealed on Tuesday for Salah to turn himself in.
“We are a family, we are thinking about him, we are wondering where he is, if he is scared, if he is feeding himself,” Mohamed Abdeslam told the French news channel BFM TV in Brussels. “The best would be for him to surrender so that the justice system may shed light on this situation.”“We are a family, we are thinking about him, we are wondering where he is, if he is scared, if he is feeding himself,” Mohamed Abdeslam told the French news channel BFM TV in Brussels. “The best would be for him to surrender so that the justice system may shed light on this situation.”
Salah Abdeslam was stopped at a traffic check in the French town of Cambrai on Saturday morning, as he headed toward the Belgian border, but was then waved through after showing identification.Salah Abdeslam was stopped at a traffic check in the French town of Cambrai on Saturday morning, as he headed toward the Belgian border, but was then waved through after showing identification.
The Austrian police disclosed on Tuesday that Mr. Abdeslam was also stopped during a routine police check in northern Austria on Sept. 9 — four days after Germany and Austria opened their borders to refugees streaming in via Hungary. He crossed into Austria from Germany in a car with two men who have not been identified, and told the police that he would be spending a few days on vacation in Austria, an Interior Ministry spokesman said.The Austrian police disclosed on Tuesday that Mr. Abdeslam was also stopped during a routine police check in northern Austria on Sept. 9 — four days after Germany and Austria opened their borders to refugees streaming in via Hungary. He crossed into Austria from Germany in a car with two men who have not been identified, and told the police that he would be spending a few days on vacation in Austria, an Interior Ministry spokesman said.
Mr. Kerry, in a hastily arranged trip to Paris to show solidarity, said the United States and France had no choice but to wage war against the Islamic State, the apocalyptic militant group that purports to have restored a caliphate, or a global Muslim community under a single leader.Mr. Kerry, in a hastily arranged trip to Paris to show solidarity, said the United States and France had no choice but to wage war against the Islamic State, the apocalyptic militant group that purports to have restored a caliphate, or a global Muslim community under a single leader.
“This is just raw terror to set up a caliphate,” Mr. Kerry said before meeting separately with Mr. Hollande and Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius. “This is not a situation where we have a choice. We’re not choosing to randomly go to war. We’re trying to avoid it, trying to find a better path.”“This is just raw terror to set up a caliphate,” Mr. Kerry said before meeting separately with Mr. Hollande and Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius. “This is not a situation where we have a choice. We’re not choosing to randomly go to war. We’re trying to avoid it, trying to find a better path.”
At least four Americans were wounded in the attacks on Paris, and one, Nohemi Gonzalez, died.At least four Americans were wounded in the attacks on Paris, and one, Nohemi Gonzalez, died.
Mr. Cazeneuve told France Info radio that the police had conducted 128 raids in France overnight against terrorism suspects. He also said 115,000 police officers and troops had been deployed across the country “to ensure the protection of the French.”Mr. Cazeneuve told France Info radio that the police had conducted 128 raids in France overnight against terrorism suspects. He also said 115,000 police officers and troops had been deployed across the country “to ensure the protection of the French.”