Charlie Hebdo: officials establish link between gunmen in both attacks — as it happened | World news | The GuardianCharlie Hebdo: officials establish link between gunmen in both attacks — as it happened | World news | The Guardian










Close






Skip to main content

 









sign in








subscribe









search




jobs






more


from the guardian:


jobs


change edition:



switch to the UK edition


switch to the AU edition







US edition




switch to the UK edition




switch to the Australia edition













The Guardian


Winner of the Pulitzer prize











home


›
world


›
europe




americas


asia


middle east


africa


australia


UK










home




US




world
selected




opinion




sports




soccer




tech




arts




lifestyle




fashion




business




money




travel




environment







browse all sections
close







 











Charlie Hebdo attack


Charlie Hebdo: officials establish link between gunmen in both attacks — as it happened









Gunmen besieged outside city and in Paris are killed
Coulibaly and Kouachis spoke on the phone more than 500 times
Police storm buildings in raids to free hostages
French president: ‘unity is our best weapon’


Read our latest summary here



Updated 

















Paris is Charlie is projected onto the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, to pay tribute to the victims of a deadly attack on the headquarters of French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo. Photograph: MATTHIEU ALEXANDRE/AFP/Getty Images





Matthew Weaver , 
Josh Halliday, 
Alexandra Topping, Jonathan Bucks, 
Alan Yuhas and 
Raya Jalabi in New York


Friday 9 January 2015 21.52 EST







Share on Facebook







Share on Twitter







Share via Email







Share on LinkedIn







Share on Google+







Share on WhatsApp




















Key events




Show











Live feed




Show





Order by


Newest first


Oldest first






 11.30pm GMT18:30 
Summary

• Two separate police raids in Paris and Dammartin-en-Goële killed the Charlie Hebdo gunmen and a third man, ending a three-day manhunt. Police found Chérif and Saïd Kouachi, wanted for murdering 12 people in Paris on Wednesday, and cornered them in a printworks office. 
• In an interview before he was killed, Cherif Kouachi claimed that he was sent by al-Qaida in Yemen, as a defender of the prophet. In a separate interview, Coulibaly said that his attack had been ‘synchronized’ with the Kouachis’ Charlie Hebdo attack.
• The Paris prosecutor revealed new details of both sieges, stating that Coulibaly, his girlfriend and the Kouachi brothers had spoken on the phone more than 500 times. 
• French special forces stormed the Dammartin-en-Goële printworks and a kosher supermarket in Vincennes, Paris, trading fire with the gunmen and throwing flashbang grenades after standoffs that lasted for hours. One hostage escaped unharmed in Dammartin-en-Goële.
• Four hostages were killed and four wounded in the supermarket in Paris, where Amedy Coulibaly held civilians captive. Authorities believe Coulibaly and an accomplice killed a policewoman Thursday in southern Paris. They named the suspect as Hayat Boumeddienne, describing her as “armed and dangerous” and at large.
• French president Francois Hollande addressed the nation from the Elysée, congratulating police and saying the nation must not give in to such a “terrifying antisemitic attack” like the one on the grocery store. “We are a free nation that does not give in,” he said. “We carry an ideal that is greater than us.”
• World leaders pledged support for France and many of them will join Hollande at a rally in Paris on Sunday. British prime minister David Cameron, German chancellor Angela Merkel and EU president Donald Tusk all said they would accept Hollande’s invitation. Barack Obama said Paris’s spirit of freedom “will endure forever, long after the scourge of terrorism is banished from this world”.

Updated at 4.18pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 11.18pm GMT18:18 

The French gendarmerie (GIGN) have released footage of the raid on Dammartin-en-Goële: 







 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 11.13pm GMT18:13 

Le Monde has published a series of photos taken by Amedy Coulibaly and his girlfriend in 2010, while they were visiting Islamic radical Djamel Beghal, who Le Monde has called Cherif Kouachi’s mentor. The photographs show Boumedienne, wearing a niqab and holding a crossbow.

Updated at 12.50am GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 11.04pm GMT18:04 
Paris prosecutor reveals new details on both sieges

Speaking at a conference, prosecutor François Molins reveals new details on both sieges:



Francois Molins.
Photograph: Matthieu Alexandre/AFP/Getty Images


General:

Hayat Boumedienne, Amedy Coulibaly’s girlfriend and accomplice, is still at large;
Coulibaly and his girlfriend Hayat Boumedienne spoke more than 500 times to the Kouachi brothers over the phone;
Five people remain in detention, including the wife of one of the Kouachi brothers;
One of Wednesday’s wounded is still in critical condition.

Vincennes:

‘Likely’ that four of the hostages were killed when the gunman entered the Kosher market, before police staged their assault;
Police identified Coulibaly’s DNA from a cloth found near the scene of the policewoman’s in Montrouge, leading to his identification within two hours.

Dammartin-en-Goële: 

An employee at the printing works where the Kouachi brothers were, was hiding on the second floor, underneath the sink, but the brothers were not aware of his presence;
in addition to the AK47s, the Kouachis had one RPG inside the Dammartin-en-Goële printworks, ready to launch 



— Bill Neely (@BillNeelyNBC)
January 9, 2015
Paris prosecutor said Amedy Coulibalis had cased the supermarket the week before. He had identified it as a target. Long planned.





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 10.41pm GMT17:41 

The French government has tweeted about Sunday’s rally that they are calling The Republican March. The poster says: “All United” with the hashtag France is Charlie, beneath it:


— Gouvernement (@gouvernementFR)
January 9, 2015
Marche républicaine dimanche, tous unis! #JeSuisCharlie #LaFranceEstCharlie pic.twitter.com/TdL5riK83Q





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 10.23pm GMT17:23 
Interviews with Kouachi & Coulibaly released

French channel BFM TV has posted an edited clip of the two separate conversations their staff had with Cherif Kouachi (previously here) and Amedy Coulibaly today. BFM said they waited until the end of siege operations to air the footage.





Watch in French here.


In the clip, an anchor explains that a BFM reporter called the print works office where Kouachi was holed up, and Kouachi picked up. The 10am call was recorded, with Kouachi aware that he was speaking to a journalist and that he was to answer questions. 
In the clip, Kouachi speaks in a very calm voice saying:

We just want to say that we are the defenders of the prophet, and that I, Cherif Kouachi, was sent by al-Qaida in Yemen. And that I went there and that it was Sheikh Anwar al-Awlaki who financed me”, adding that the visit took place before Awlaki was killed.

BFM said that after 3pm, they got a call from Amedy Coulibaly, who wanted to be in contact with the police. He spoke with a BFM editor: 

BFM: Are you in touch with the two brothers who conducted the operation at Charlie Hebdo?
Coulibaly: Yes. We synchronized our operations.
BFM: Are you still in touch with them? Have you recently spoken with them by phone?
Coulibaly: No.
BFM: How were you synchronized with the Kouachis? Are there further attacks planned? 
Coulibaly: No, we only synchronized to kick-start things: so when they started Charlie Hebdo, I started on the police officers.

He also added that at the time, he was standing there with four dead and 16 people including children.
He finally that he committed these acts to defend “oppressed Muslims” notably in Palestine, and targeted the Kosher grocery store because he was targeting jews.
You can listen to the full interview with Cherif Kouachi here, in which he claims they don’t kill civilians, not counting journalists among those.
“We are defenders of the prophet. ... We don’t kill women, we’re not like you. ... We have codes of honour code.” Prompted by the reporter, Kouachi says: “We avenged” the prophet.
Meanwhile, a video released which some experts have said was released by an official AQAP outlet, has praised the attacks. 

Updated at 10.45pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 9.48pm GMT16:48 

Meanwhile, fears are mounting that anti-Islamic sentiments will intensify across Europe – namely, Germany, Italy and Switzerland – in the wake of the Paris attacks, write Angelique Chrisafis, Kate Connolly and Stephanie KirchGaessner:



A Pegida rally in Dresden in December. The group said it would make the Paris attacks a focal point of its demonstrations next week.
Photograph: Jens Meyer/AP



In the light of the growing Pegida movement – a grouping of disillusioned citizens, neo-Nazis and football hooligans who oppose Muslim immigration and have been backed by the anti-immigration party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) – the debate in Germany since the attacks in the French capital has been particularly nervous.
Such organisations, just like other populist and anti-immigrant parties gaining support in the polls across Europe, have been quick to make political capital from the attacks, citing them as proof that all their fears about Islamism were true.
“This bloodbath proves that those who laughed at or ignored the fears of so many people about a looming danger of Islamism were wrong,” said Alexander Gauland, a regional leader of AfD, which has its roots in the euro crisis and is currently riding at 25% in nationwide polls, on the day of the Charlie Hebdo attacks. “This gives new weight to Pegida demands.” 

Read the story in full here.


 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 9.32pm GMT16:32 




‘Paris est Charlie’ (Paris is Charlie) is projected onto the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on Thursday, to pay tribute to the victims of the attack on Charlie Hebdo’s headquarters.
Photograph: Matthieu Alexandre/AFP/Getty Images




 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 9.19pm GMT16:19 

The role, if any, that al-Qaida has played in the Paris attacks has not been confirmed, but members of AQAP have said that their group in Yemen “directed the attack on the French magazine,” according to the Associated Press.


— The Associated Press (@AP)
January 9, 2015
BREAKING: Member of al-Qaida’s branch in Yemen says the group directed the attack on French magazine.



Separately, a source within al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula ‘who demanded anonymity’ has sent The Intercept a message praising the attacks, saying: “So France, are you ready for more attacks?”

The source, who demanded anonymity because the group has not yet released an official statement, also told The Intercept that two images in the latest issue of its publication, Inspire, published in December, contained a clue foreshadowing the attack on Charlie Hebdo. 

Earlier today, a Yemeni official told Reuters the older brother in the Charlie Hebdo attack Said Kouachi had traveled to Yemen in 2011 and met with Anwar al-Awlaki. “We do not have confirmed information that he was trained by al-Qaida but what was confirmed was that he has met with Awlaki in Shabwah,” the Yemeni official told Reuters. 
The Guardian’s Jason Burke reports that “American officials claimed that both of the suspects had been on a US terrorist watch list “for years” and one had travelled to Yemen, possibly for training with a group linked to al-Qaida, four years ago.


 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 9.04pm GMT16:04 

Dramatic new footage has emerged of police firing into and storming the Vincennes supermarket has been posted to YouTube.
The video, shot from a nearby building, shows the metal guard-door slowing rising as police hover in a swarm around its edges, and then the officers firing shots into the clearly lit aisles lined with produce. A body is visible on the ground inside. 
Then police throw a grenade into the building, and after an explosion a hostage runs through the doors holding a coat over his head. The police move inside in a cluster of shields and close formation, and more hostages come racing out between them. At one point the camera pans to watch two men dragging a third person clear of the scene, as that person weakly pushes themselves along the sidewalk with them.
Potential viewers should be warned that the video is graphic and bodies of the dead and wounded are clearly visible.



Police storming the grocrey in Vincennes.
Photograph: Youtube



Updated at 9.25pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 8.42pm GMT15:42 
Summary

• Two dramatic police raids on separately besieged buildings killed the Charlie Hebdo gunmen and a third suspect, ending a three-day manhunt. Police found Chérif and Saïd Kouachi, wanted for murdering 12 people in Paris on Wednesday, and cornered them in a printworks office in Dammartin-en-Goële, a town near Paris Charles de Gaulle airport.
• French special forces stormed both the Dammartin-en-Goële printworks and a kosher supermarket in Vincennes, Paris, trading fire with the gunmen and throwing flashbang grenades after standoffs that lasted for hours. One hostage escaped unharmed in Dammartin-en-Goële, and police managed to free more than a dozen from the grocery.
• Four hostages were killed and four wounded in the supermarket in Paris, where Amedy Coulibaly held civilians captive and demanded police allow the Kouachi brothers go free. Authorities believe Coulibaly and an accomplice killed a policewoman Thursday in southern Paris.
• French president Francois Hollande addressed the nation from the Elysée, congratulating police and saying the nation must not give in to such a “terrifying antisemitic attack” like the one on the grocery. “We are a free nation that does not give in,” he said. “We carry an ideal that is greater than us.”
• World leaders pledged support for France, many of whom will join Hollande at a rally in Paris on Sunday. British prime minister David Cameron, German chancellor Angela Merkel, and EU president Donald Tusk all said they would accept Hollande’s invitation. US president Barack Obama said Paris’ spirit of freedom “will endure forever, long after the scourge of terrorism is banished from this world.”
• Earlier on Friday, French police asked for information about a suspect linked to Coulibaly and the murder of the policewoman in Montrouge. It named her as Hayat Boumedienne, and described her as “armed and dangerous” and at large.

Updated at 4.18pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 8.36pm GMT15:36 

The US State Department is reviewing security for operations in France but continues otherwise as normal, McClatchey’s Hannah Allam writes.


— Hannah Allam (@HannahAllam)
January 9, 2015
State Dept: Reviewing security but nothing has changed in our posture; "our embassies and consulates remain up and running" in #Paris.





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 8.10pm GMT15:10 

Acclaimed graphic artist and journalist Joe Sacco has drawn a political cartoon for the Guardian on the limits of satire – and what it means if Muslims don’t find it funny:



Joe Sacco capture for live blog
Photograph: Joe Sacco





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 8.03pm GMT15:03 
What we know about the raids and hostages

In Dammartin-en-Goele:
The Kouachi brothers, Chérif and Saïd, who killed 12 during their attack on the Charlie Hebdo offices on Wednesday, fled north-east out of Paris to Dammartin-en-Goele, where police cornered them inside a printworks office. Unconfirmed reports indicate that there were two civilians trapped with the Kouachis: the owner of the printworks, Michel Catalano, and a member of staff. The member of staff escaped and hid in the building, and kept security forces (GIGN) informed by phone of what was going on.
French special forces eventually stormed the printworks from the roof and ground, firing on the Kouachis. The brothers reportedly charged the entrance firing at police, and both were killed. No civilians were reported harmed.
In Vincennes:
Shortly after police surrounded the Kouachi brothers outside Paris, Amedy Coulibaly entered a kosher supermarket with an assault rifle and took a number of people hostage. At the same time as the raid in Dammartin, police threw flashbang grenades into the grocery and stormed the building. The gunman was killed, and several hostages were seen fleeing the grocery and reaching police and ambulances.
Coulibaly spoke with French BFM television during the siege and said he had 16 hostages and had killed four. French president François Hollande confirmed in an address that four people were killed at the supermarket, and interior minister Bernard Cazenueve said that four hostages and the gunman died there. The Associated Press quoted an Israeli official as saying the police raid freed 15 hostages. French media reported that four hostages were injured.

Updated at 8.43pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 7.51pm GMT14:51 

Charlie Hebdo’s editor has said his killed colleagues won’t be dead in the magazine’s next issue, Anne Penketh reports from Paris.

Gérard Briard said next week’s edition “won’t be an obituary. In the next Charlie, they’re not dead.” 
In video-ed remarks on the Libération website, Briard said: “it will be a normal edition with all the artists of Charlie, all the journalists of Charlie, all the staff - including Mustapha (Ourrad) the copy editor who we never see, they will all be in the paper.” 
He also said the journalists intended the edition, which has received an unprecedented amount of funding, to be “normal” and “funny” – “because we don’t know how to do anything else.” 
In particular the magazine would strive to demonstrate that “they can’t say they’ve killed Charlie.”



 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 7.43pm GMT14:43 
Interior minister: four hostages and one gunman killed

French interior minister Cazenueve has confirmed five in all were killed in Vincennes: four hostages and the gunman.


— infos140 (@infos140)
January 9, 2015
🔴 URGENT TERRORISME B.Cazeneuve confirme le bilan de 5 morts (dont A.Coulibaly) et 4 blessés, porte de Vincennes (France 2)





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 7.37pm GMT14:37 

Hollande’s predecessor Nicolas Sarkozy, has said in a press release: 

War has been declared on France, on her institutions, on the Republic, by savages who negate the very existence of civilization and the universal values of humanism.
This tragic situation has called upon each of us to respect national unity, which we owe to the victims.
France must show herself strong and firm, to guarantee the safety of our compatriots, the respect for our way of life and our capacity to ensure to every person the liberty to say what thinks. 



 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 7.18pm GMT14:18 

“The United States stands with France,” President Barack Obama has said in a speech from Tennessee, cautioning “the French government needs to stay vigilant” as it confronts new threats.








    Sorry, your browser is unable to play this video. 



“Events have been fast moving, I just spoke to my counterterrorism advisor, we have been in close touch with the French government. … Since the moment that this tragedy began we directed all of our enforcement and counterterrorism to providing whatever our ally needs.
“We’re hopeful that the immediate threat is now resolved [but] the French government needs to stay vigilant, the situation is fluid.”
Obama then made a broader remarks about what the attacks mean for the France and US going forward:
“France is our oldest ally. I want people of France to know that the United States stands with you today, stands with you tomorrow. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who have been directly impacted. We grieve with you. We fight alongside you to uphold our values, the values that we share – universal values that bind us together as friends and as allies.
“In the streets of Paris, the world has seen once again what terrorists stand for. The have nothing to offer but hatred and suffering. We stand for freedom and hope and the dignity of all human beings. That is what the city of Paris represents to the world and that spirit will endure forever, long after the scourge of terrorism is banished from this world.”

Updated at 8.50pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 6.58pm GMT13:58 
Hollande: four killed in Paris 'anti-semitic attack'

Hollande confirms that four people were killed in the siege in the Vincennes supermarket.
“I want to salute the police and and all those who participated in the operations. I want to tell them we are proud of you,” Hollande says, adding that they saved the hostages and “neutralized” the terrorists.
Along with the prime minister, Hollande says “we have reinforced protection of our public spaces, to guarantee that we can live quietly, in peace, so that at no moment we will be subject to risk and threats. But we must remain vigilant.”
“We need to show our determination against anything and everything that can divide us. We should be firm against racism and antisemitism,” Hollande says,calling the attack on the market in Vincennes a “terrifying anti-semitic attack”.
“Unity is our best weapon.”
Hollande says that numerous state leaders from around the world have expressed their solidarity with France. “They will be here on Sunday. I will be with them. I call on all French men and women to get up together this Sunday to demonstrate the values of democracy, liberty and pluralism.
“We are a free nation that does not give in. We carry an ideal that is greater than us.”
Quoting Hollande’s speech, the interior ministry tweeted: “Those who committed these acts have nothing to do with the Muslim religion.”


— Élysée (@Elysee)
January 9, 2015
#DirectPR @fhollande "Ceux qui ont commis ces actes n'ont rien à voir avec la religion musulmane."




Updated at 7.20pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 6.50pm GMT13:50 

French president Francois Hollande is now speaking to the nation in a televised address from the Elysée. He may finally clarify the sequence of events and number of casualties, killed and injured, of the past few hours.





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 6.48pm GMT13:48 

French TV station BFM spoke with suspects Cherif Kouachi and Amedy Coulibaly earlier today during the sieges in Vincennes and Dammartin, Jon Henley reports from Paris.

During the conversation, Kouachi said he was “sent by al-Qaida in Yemen” – as was Coulibaly the hostage taker at the grocery shop in Vincennes, who was also contacted by BFM.
Coulibaly said that he had 16 hostages and had killed four.
He also confirmed he had targeted the kosher grocery shop because “it was Jewish”.

BFM did not immediately release the tape due to the police operation that was in action at the time.

Updated at 7.27pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 6.32pm GMT13:32 

Cazeneuve did not mention numbers of dead or injured in both the Dammartin and Vincennes sieges, rather focusing on congratulating police forces.
France 24’s Phoebe Lanzer Wood and freelance journalist Sruthi Gottipati have more:


— Phoebe Lanzer Wood (@PhoebeLondon)
January 9, 2015
French Interior Min. Cazeneuve: "The investigation is ongoing. We're gradually getting more clarity on what happened." #ParisAttacks





— Sruthi Gottipati (@GoSruthi)
January 9, 2015
French interior min congratulates the police forces. Doesn't want to give too much info without vetting it first with judicial authority



A tweet from the French Interior Ministry, attributing to Cazeneuve: 
“mobilization, vigilance, protection of French citizens: such is our duty, such is our task. We will continue to accomplish this.”


— Ministère Intérieur (@Place_Beauvau)
January 9, 2015
.@BCazeneuve : mobilisation, vigilance, protection des Français : tel est notre devoir, telle est notre tâche. Ns continuerons à l'accomplir




Updated at 6.34pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 6.20pm GMT13:20 

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve has just spoken in Paris. He began by thanking all GIGN security forces and police who made the liberation of hostages possible. The safety of hostages “was kept under difficult and oppressive circumstances” while the risks were high, he said. They were “professional and courageous.”
Despite Friday’s developments, Cazeneuve insists that France remains on high alert. We remain extraordinarily mobilized to ensure the safety of all French people in France. “Over the past several months, we have taken precautions through anti-terror laws to be more effective in combatting terrorism. On Sunday, I am meeting my EU colleagues who have been invited to Paris. We are obligated to remain vigilant.”

Updated at 6.22pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 6.17pm GMT13:17 

More European leaders have joined David Cameron in accepting President Francois Hollande’s invitation to attend a Unity Rally in Paris’s Place de la Republique on Sunday to “celebrate the values behind Charlie Hebdo”. 
Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi, EU president Donald Tusk, German chancellor Angela Merkel and Spanish president Mariano Rajoy Brey will be among the dignitaries.


— Mariano Rajoy Brey (@marianorajoy)
January 9, 2015
Estaré en París este domingo apoyando al pueblo francés. España con Francia contra el terrorismo y por la libertad. MR



“I will be in Paris this Sunday supporting the French people. Spain with France are against terrorism and for liberty.”


— Matteo Renzi (@matteorenzi)
January 9, 2015
Dimanche je serais avec @fhollande a Paris #JeSuisCharlie Non permetteremo alla paura di cambiarci #Europa



“On Sunday I will be with Francois Hollande in Paris … We will not allow fear to change us.”
Marine Le Pen, the leader of French far-right party Front National, has not been invited, my colleague Frances Perraudin writes. She has said on Twitter that the move has turned a moment for national unity into one of sectarianism and division.


 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 6.07pm GMT13:07 

Police are still active in Paris and securing the neighborhoods around the kosher grocery; earlier today they published information about a suspect who had been close to Amedy Coulibaly.


— Kim Willsher (@kimwillsher1)
January 9, 2015
#CharlieHebdo French woman suspected accomplice described as " armed and dangerous" still at liberty. Not totally over.





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 5.59pm GMT12:59 

Footage from the printworks in Dammartin-en-Goele shows special forces taking positions before the final assault and smoke rising from near the building, with gunfire and explosions audible.








    Sorry, your browser is unable to play this video. 



In Paris cameras caught the moment when special forces stormed the kosher supermarket; several hostages were reported killed and others in critical condition, but French media have given inconsistent numbers of how many and no chronology of events inside the grocery.








    Sorry, your browser is unable to play this video. 




Updated at 6.31pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 5.48pm GMT12:48 

According to reports in the French media the denouement of the two hostage situations in Paris happened after French security forces crept into position on the roof of the printworks moments before opening bursts of gunfire.
Their two suspects, the Parisian brothers Chérif and Saïd Kouachi, reportedly launched an audacious escape bid, charging out of the building firing at the security forces before being cut down in their tracks.
Moments later armed police launched an assault on the kosher restaurant in east Paris, using flashbangs and assault rifles to force entry to the under-siege deli.

Updated at 5.50pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 5.41pm GMT12:41 

David Cameron has announced that he will join the Unity Rally in Paris on Sunday.


— David Cameron (@David_Cameron)
January 9, 2015
I've accepted President Hollande's invitation to join the Unity Rally in Paris this Sunday - celebrating the values behind #CharlieHebdo.





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 5.38pm GMT12:38 




Members of the BRI police elite unit launch their assault on the HyperCasher supermarket
Photograph: Ian Langsdon/EPA





People watch on Avenue Joffre as police mobilise at the supermarket
Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images





Police on the move at Port de Vincennes
Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images




 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 5.26pm GMT12:26 

Special combat forces are seen getting into position at the printworks where the Charlie Hebdo shooting suspects, brothers Saïd and Chérif Kouachi, were holed up. Shortly afterwards gunshots and explosions can be heard as the special forces appear to storm the building. Police have reported that the suspects were killed in the exchange.





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 5.25pm GMT12:25 
Several hostages dead: media reports

French media are reporting that not all of the hostages in the kosher supermarket siege at the porte de Vincennes survived. 
According to AFP, BFMTV and other sources there were a number of deaths among the hostages. It was not immediately clear if they died during the police raid or before it. AFP also reported that a number of other hostages were critically injured. 



Members of the French police special forces evacuate the hostages.
Photograph: Thomas Samson/AFP/Getty Images


Reports of the deaths remain unconfirmed. French president François Hollande is due to address the nation at 8pm local time / 7pm GMT / 2pm ET. 

Updated at 9.36pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 5.19pm GMT12:19 





Updated at 6.14pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 5.11pm GMT12:11 

The French ambassador to the US, Gérard Araud, has sent a series of tweets saying according to “his information” the gunman who had taken hostages in a kosher supermarket in porte de Vincennes is dead, as are the two gunmen at the printworks in Dammartin-en-Goele. He has said this is not “official confirmation”. 


— Gérard Araud (@GerardAraud)
January 9, 2015
#CharlieHebdo. The two terrorists are dead. The hostage is alive.





— Gérard Araud (@GerardAraud)
January 9, 2015
The kosher supermarket has been stormed. The terrorist is dead. The hostages are alive.





— Gérard Araud (@GerardAraud)
January 9, 2015
Proud of our police forces! Thank you.




Updated at 5.38pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 5.04pm GMT12:04 

Le Monde are reporting that a police source has told them that the man killed in port de Vincennes is Amedy Coulibaly.


— Samuel Laurent (@samuellaurent)
January 9, 2015
Nos sources confirment que le preneur d'otages tué à Vincennes est bien Amely Coulibaly. http://t.co/wGU4Rr8PuA





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 4.50pm GMT11:50 
Summary

• The Parisian brothers suspected of the Charlie Hebdo massacre have been killed in a violent police raid on their compound in Dammartin-en-Goele, northeast of Paris, according to multiple reports.
• Chérif and Saïd Kouachi, who had been on the run since the shooting at the magazine’s offices on Wednesday, were killed when armed special forces stormed the building where they had held a hostage since early on Friday.
• The three-day terror incident came to a dramatic end just before 4pm GMT when armed officers raided the printing works on an industrial estate near Charles de Gaulle airport. The hostage was freed, according to multiple reports citing French officials.
• Moments later, officers launched an assault on a Kosher supermarket in east Paris where another gunman took up to six people hostage on Friday afternoon.
• That gunman was also killed when police stormed the supermarket, freeing some hostages.
• The first siege began at around 8.30am GMT on Friday when there were reports of shots being fired and hostages taken in Dammartin-en-Goele, sparking a major operation involving Swat teams, military helicopters and armed counter-terror officers.
• Earlier on Friday, French police issued an appeal for two suspects linked to the killing of the policewoman Clarissa Jean-Philippe in Montrouge yesterday. It named them as Hayat Boumeddienne, 26, and Amedy Coulibaly, 32. Coulibaly was also linked by French media to the Kosher supermarket siege.

Updated at 6.31pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 4.47pm GMT11:47 

The moment that police stormed a kosher supermarket at porte de Vincennes.



AFP TV video footage of the launched the assault.
Photograph: Gabrielle Chatelain/AFP/Getty Images



Updated at 5.22pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 4.41pm GMT11:41 

AFP have this picture of hostages being released from the Jewish supermarket at the porte de Vincennes.


— AFP Photo Department (@AFPphoto)
January 9, 2015
Several hostages freed at Jewish supermarket in Paris. Photo Thomas Samson #AFP pic.twitter.com/C9ltgMT0Wl





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 4.36pm GMT11:36 
Police raid siege locations

There seems to have been a coordinated and decisive response to the two hostage situations in France. 
It appears that the Charlie Hebdo suspects have been killed in a police raid on their compound in Dammartin-en-Goele, French media are reporting. Unnamed French officials have reportedly confirmed that Parisian brothers Chérif and Saïd Kouachi were killed when armed officers stormed the building.
Police sources have told Le Monde that the Kouachi brothers died. It has also been reported that the hostage they were holding was freed during the raid.
These are unconfirmed reports and should be treated with caution. 
AFP and others are reporting that, at the kosher supermarket in the east of Paris, several hostages have been released following a police operation. 
According to Le Monde, police sources say that the hostage taker died. Other sources say “neutralised”. 
Jon Henley in Paris reports that BFM TV journalists at the scene in Paris, who are listening in to police radio, are saying two policemen have been injured and five hostages are reportedly safe.
The Guardian is attempting to verify these reports. 


— Agence France-Presse (@AFP)
January 9, 2015
BREAKING Several hostages freed at Jewish supermarket in Paris: AFP





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 4.22pm GMT11:22 

Anne Penketh at the porte de Vincennes has sent this dispatch:

About 150 people were at a police road block outside the Lycée Hélène Boucher near the supermarket. Some were onlookers but many were waiting for pupils to be allowed out of the school which was shut at 1pm as a precautionary measure.
Colette Cymbor said her 18 year old daughter would normally have finished school at 4pm. “I spoke to her and she said they’ve not had lessons this afternoon,” she said.
With tensions running high amid a heavy police presence and the constant scream of sirens, people were discussing the hostage-taker’s latest reported demand to free the terrorist suspects outside Paris. The crowd broke into spontaneous applause when a contingent of police arrived on foot.
Kevin Debuire, who was also waiting for Mrs Cymbor’s daughter Mélodie said he was becoming increasingly concerned about taking the Metro after the spate of attacks.



 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 4.20pm GMT11:20 
Loud explosions heard at porte de Vincennes

Our reporter Anne Penketh heard four loud bangs at 5.15pm French time at porte de Vincennes, site of the kosher supermarket siege. 

Pupils from a nearby school were let out via a back entrance at 5pm and told to go home. “There was a bit of panic when people were calling each other about the hostage taking, “ said Carla Audebaud, a 17-year-old pupil. Some of the pupils were having lunch in nearby cafes and were told to go back to the school. “It was shocking,” she said. “The headmaster said he was keeping us in because the situation was dangerous.”

Sky News reports six quick explosions from the kosher supermarket in east Paris. This may indicate a coordinated assault by authorities on both sets of suspects ensconced at the print works and the supermarket.


— Sky News (@SkyNews)
January 9, 2015
Six explosions heard at kosher supermarket where a number of hostages were taken #ParisAttacks http://t.co/0jxoozr8mN pic.twitter.com/BFuLAaMba6




Updated at 4.20pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 4.12pm GMT11:12 

Sky News are reporting that just before the explosion special combat forces could be seen heading towards the printworks where the suspects were holed up.
It now appears that the counter-terror police initiated an assault on the building, and ambulances are driving to the scene. 
Another round of small explosive blasts have been heard alongside bursts of gunfire in Dammartin-en-Goele, where the shooting began just before 4pm GMT. Explosive blasts are sometimes used in this situation to force entry to a building along with stun grenades to debilitate the hostage takers.
Journalist Peter Allen has just tweeted on the latest from Dammartin:


— Peter Allen (@peterallenparis)
January 9, 2015
Heavily armed commandos currently on roof of building where Charlie Hebdo terrorists holed up with hostage. More gunfire/explosions.




Updated at 4.15pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 4.05pm GMT11:05 

The BBC has reported that more explosions can be heard from Dammartin. 


— Gavin Hewitt (@BBCGavinHewitt)
January 9, 2015
Another small explosion at Danmartin



Sky News have this picture of the explosion seen by onlookers.


— Sky News (@SkyNews)
January 9, 2015
Latest from printworks where #CharlieHebdo suspects had taken one hostage. #ParisAttacks http://t.co/64ZQoajDw9 pic.twitter.com/LBwxBZMXmM




Updated at 4.09pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 4.01pm GMT11:01 

There were rounds of gunfire and several explosions heard at the printworks where the brothers have been holed up this afternoon. The gunfire came minutes after armed counter-terror officers were seen traveling towards the building.
There appears to be smoke coming from the printworks at Dammartin-en-Goele. 


— Chris Morris (@BBCChrisMorris)
January 9, 2015
Shooting has broken out in #Dammartin





— FRANCE 24 (@FRANCE24)
January 9, 2015
Gunshots and explosions heard in #Dammartin http://t.co/LdSF5QeCiv pic.twitter.com/VoqNdOeYfm





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 3.56pm GMT10:56 
Gunshots and explosions heard at Dammartin

Sky News are currently showing footage of gunshots and explosions at Dammartin-en-Goele, where the Charlie Hebdo shooting suspects are holed up.

Updated at 3.59pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 3.53pm GMT10:53 









    Sorry, your browser is unable to play this video. 



President François Hollande delivers a statement at France’s Interior Ministry on security in the wake of the Charlie Hebdo attack




 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 3.49pm GMT10:49 

More than 80,000 personnels are now on the ground to tackle the two hostage situations in Dammartin and porte de Vincennes, according to the French interior minority. 


— Ministère Intérieur (@Place_Beauvau)
January 8, 2015
Plus de 88 000 personnels sont engagés sur l'ensemble du territoire #CharlieHebdo #Montrouge http://t.co/WfctB5NLSx pic.twitter.com/tgr3pUmxV3





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 3.47pm GMT10:47 

Reuters are reporting that French anti-terrorist forces surrounding a building where they believe two men suspected of attacking the Charlie Hebdo satirical weekly are holed up want to start a dialogue and have not launched an assault, a French interior ministry spokesman said. 
“The priority is to establish a dialogue,” Pierre-Henry Brandet said in a message tweeted by the interior ministry. 
“This can take a long time, hours and sometimes days,” he added. 


— Ministère Intérieur (@Place_Beauvau)
January 9, 2015
.@PHBrandet porte parole du ministère : "La priorité est d'établir un dialogue avec les forcenés"



The French interior ministry have said that in the Vincennes situation there has so far been no deaths, no injuries and no assault. 


— Ministère Intérieur (@Place_Beauvau)
January 9, 2015
.@PHBrandet porte parole du ministère : "Il n'y a eu ni mort, ni blessé et, à cette heure, il n'y a pas eu d'assaut"





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 3.35pm GMT10:35 



— infos140 (@infos140)
January 9, 2015
🔴 TERRORISME Article du Parisien en juillet 2009. Le tueur de Montrouge rencontrait N.Sarkozy (via @davidopoczynski) pic.twitter.com/mXjzE6G6OU



It appears that the newspaper Le Parisien may have interviewed alleged hostage taker Amedy Coulibaly in summer 2009. A print article dated 15 July, a picture of which was tweeted by a member of the newspaper’s staff on Friday, says Coulibaly planned to meet then French president Nicolas Sarkozy as part of an effort from the Elysee to support companies committed to employing young people. 
The article sits beside a photograph appearing to match that given out by French authorities earlier on Friday. In it a man with the same name is quoted as saying “I’m really pleased. I don’t know what I’ll say to him. I guess I’ll start with hello. Hopefully the president can help me get a job.”
The article describes Coulibaly as working at a Coca-Cola factory in Grande-Borne in Grigny, a southern Parisian suburb. The quote continues: “People from Grigny don’t often go to the Elysee. Also, Sarkozy isn’t very popular with young people, but it’s nothing personal. In fact it’s the same for most politicians. Meeting him will be very impressive though. Like him or not he’s still the president.”The Guardian has been unable to independently verify whether the man named in the article is the same man involved in the hostage-taking. 

Updated at 3.45pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 3.16pm GMT10:16 

The hostage situation at the kosher supermarket in Paris is being followed closely by Israel’s government, which has offered assistance to the French government, writes Peter Beaumont in Jerusalem. 



Israeli prime minister Binymain Netanyahu
Photograph: Thomas Coex/AFP/Getty Images



Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu held a conference call with senior security and diplomatic officials to be briefed on the unfolding situation although it is understood no Israeli citizens are among the hostages.
Ordering the tightening of security at Israel’s diplomatic missions and associated offices, earlier in the day Netanyahu – who has compared events in France to the threat he says Israelis are facing – issued a statement saying: “My message, in Paris, in Jerusalem, anywhere: first rule in fighting terrorism is to refuse to be afraid.”
Israel’s foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman, said Jerusalem was following the developments in Paris with great concern.
The Paris attacks “are not just against the French people or French Jews, they’re against the entire free world”, Lieberman said in a statement.
“This is another attempt by the dark forces of radical Islam to unleash horror and terror on the west. The entire international community must stand strong and determined in the face of this terror,” Lieberman added.





Updated at 3.30pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 3.10pm GMT10:10 

Baroness Pauline Neville Jones, the former chair of the government’s joint intelligence committee, has said British security services and counter-terror police have planned for a twin-siege crisis like that under way in Paris.
“I’m sure that they will be looking at the potential for copycat activity and I think they will want to increase the visible presence of police on the ground,” she told Sky News.
“They will also analyse the attacks for exactly what, if there were to be copycat actions, we could expect here. The double scenario incident is one that has been thought about, it’s not as if people haven’t been able to conceive that this might occur, so they are aware of that possibility and there is planning in place for exactly that situation.
“One of the things also any security service will look at is are there any known contacts of these individuals in the UK.
“One shouldn’t understand the difficulty of the task the security and intelligence agencies face. It’s a very large number of people - even larger in France than in the UK - and you have to prioritise your resources. You can’t follow everybody. Unless we are going to turn our free societies into a surveillance society like the former east Germany, which had the Stasi police, we should accept some element of risk.”


 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 3.09pm GMT10:09 

As a precautionary measure police have asked all shops on the Rue des Rosiers, a street with largely Jewish businesses and restaurants, to close.


— Mairie du 4e (@Mairiedu4e)
January 9, 2015
A titre préventif @cgirard & Commissaire de police ont demandé la fermeture immédiate de tous les commerces rue des Rosiers @Mairiedu4e




Updated at 3.27pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 3.07pm GMT10:07 




Armed police arrive at Porte de Vincennes.
Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images




 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 3.05pm GMT10:05 

More on the new suspected member of the terror cell from Angelique Chrisafis.



Amedy Coulibaly
Photograph: -/AFP/Getty Images


Amédy Coulibaly, is 32 and from Juvisy-sur-Orge in Essonne outside Paris. He is believed to be the gunman currently holding hostages in a kosher grocery shop at Porte de Vincennes, on the eastern edge of Paris. He is also suspected of killing a French policewoman in a shoot-out in the south of Paris on Thursday morning, less than 24 hours after the Charlie Hebdo attack.
While still a teenager he became involved in criminality and reportedly notched up several convictions for armed robbery from 2001, when he was still a minor. The newsweekly L’Obs reported that he had met Chérif Kouachi, one of the brothers suspected of the Charlie Hebdo attack, between 2005 and 2006 when they were both inside the notorious Fleury-Mérogis prison, south of Paris. The huge prison is known for its overcrowding. 
French media reported that Coulibaly had converted and become radicalised in prison.After an initial spell in prison for armed robbery, he was reported to have then started drug-dealing and served another sentence. After that, with training as a television-fitter, he settled in Grigny in the Essonne, around 20km south-east of Paris. 
He was arrested by anti-terrorist police in 2010, suspected of having taken part in a plot to aid the prison escape of Smaïn Aït Ali Belkacem, one of the key figures behind the Paris metro and train attacks in 1995.
 During searches of his home, police found Kalashnikov ammunition. He received a prison sentence and is reported to have been released from prison just over a year ago.
Le Monde reported that he and Kouachi had both shared a mentor in Djamel Beghal, a radical figure who had been convicted for a planned terrorist attack on Paris. Police are also now searching for Coulibaly’s partner, Hayat Boumedienne, who he lived with. 
Coulibaly was the only boy in a family of ten, according to Libération, which said people who knew him had described a happy childhood and average school record. He was said to have changed at around the age of 17 as a result of people he associated with. Liberation cited an expert psychiatric report as part of a court judgement which found “no pathology” but an “immature and psychopathic personality”. An expert psychologist had pointed to “his poor powers of introspection” and the “rudimentary” nature of the motivation of his actions, as well as sense of morality which was “lacking” and a wish to be “all powerful”.



Hayat Boumeddiene
Photograph: -/AFP/Getty Images


Hayat Boumedienne is 26. Police released a photo of Boumedienne after the kosher grocery hold-up at Porte de Vincennes early on Friday afternoon. The live-in partner of Coulibaly, Le Monde reported that she had been in a relationship with him since 2010 and had met him outside prison last spring when he was released following a four-year sentence. Boumedienne had been interviewed by anti-terrorist police in 2010. Le Monde reported that she had told police that during a visit to the radical Islamist Djamel Beghal in Murat, in the Cantal countryside in central France, they had practised firing crossbows. 

Updated at 3.19pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 3.04pm GMT10:04 




Road closures cause traffic to build up in Paris.
Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images




 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 2.58pm GMT09:58 




Police officers at Porte de Vincennes.
Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images



Updated at 3.15pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 2.55pm GMT09:55 




People are led away from the scene at a supermarket in Porte de Vincennes.
Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images



Updated at 3.15pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 2.55pm GMT09:55 




Police head towards Porte de Vincennes in Paris.
Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images




 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 2.52pm GMT09:52 

Scotland Yard’s former director of hostage negotiations, Roy Ramm, has described the twin-siege in Paris as “one of the most difficult situations you could possibly imagine”.
Speaking to Sky News, Ramm said one of the first things investigators would want to do is ensure that there is no communication between the Charlie Hebdo suspects holed up in Dammartin-en-Goele and their apparent accomplice who has taken up to six hostages in a kosher supermarket in east Paris.
In the early stages of the Dammartin-en-Goele siege this morning, there were several reports of residents and journalists experiencing interference and outages when trying to use their telephones.


 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 2.49pm GMT09:49 

Back at the first siege in Dammartin-en-Goele, schools have been evacuated close to where the suspects still hold one hostage, Kim Willsher reports from the town.

The infant and primary school 500m from the printers on the outskirts of Dammartin-en-Goele was evacuated on Friday afternoon. Buses were sent to the secondary schools in the town to pick up the children. Deputy mayor Thierry Chevalier described it as a “precautionary measure”.
Valérie Desayeux arrived to pick up her 13-year-old son David, but was told to wait. “It never even crossed my mind that the two men would come here. My older son who lives in Paris alerted me when I was at work. I tried to call the school several times and was getting more and more worried. Someone from the school finally called back at lunchtime.”
There was a state of siege around the CTD (Création Tendance Découverte) printing works where the two gunmen were said to be holding a hostage. Police snipers were deployed on the rooftops of neighbouring buildings, and troops from elite commando units had surrounded the two-storey building, home to a family-run printing business.
The gunmen hijacked a grey Peugeot 206 car from a woman driver at about 8.40am on Friday morning, around 40 km further north, and were approaching Charles de Gaulle airport on the road into Paris when they faced the heavy police presence controlling the roads in and out of the capital. There was an exchange of fire, according to police sources. The men then abandoned the vehicle and ran across a field into the print works.




French gendarmes stand by as children are evacuated from a school in Dammartin-en-Goele, north-east of Paris.
Photograph: DOMINIQUE FAGET/AFP/Getty Images



Updated at 3.27pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 2.45pm GMT09:45 

Tensions remain extremely high in Paris after several armed police were seen in the Trocadero area in what was later dismissed as a false alarm. 


— Marc Préel (@marcpreel)
January 9, 2015
Trocadéro: dispositif d'alerte levé, fausse alerte, rapportent les collègues des infos génés de l'#AFP





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 2.39pm GMT09:39 

Mashable journalist Tim Chester has posted this Vine, which shows the sheer number of police vans at the Porte de Vincennes, where there are conflicting reports about the unfolding hostage situation in a kosher supermarket.


— Tim Chester (@timchester)
January 9, 2015
Police vans on Cours de Vincennes https://t.co/OQSHAtRo7k




Updated at 3.27pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 2.22pm GMT09:22 

More details are emerging about Amedy Coulibaly, who is believed to be holding up to six people hostage at a kosher supermarket in eastern Paris, after being named as a suspect in the killing of a policewoman on Thursday. 
He is 33 and from Juvisy-sur-Orge in Ile-de-France. According to Le Monde, Coulibaly and Chérif Kouachi – one of the suspects in the Charlie Hebdo attack – were two of the most committed followers of convicted terrorist Djamel Beghal. Telephone conversations reveal that the pair visited Beghal’s home in Murat in the south of France. 
26-year-old Hayat Boumeddiene – named by police as the second suspect in the killing of the policewoman on Thursday – has been Coulibaly’s partner since 2010 and lived in his home while he was serving a prison sentence, Le Monde reported. 



Amedy Coulibaly
Photograph: -/AFP/Getty Images



Updated at 2.50pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 2.10pm GMT09:10 

Some shops near the kosher supermarket siege have been evacuated, according to a witness confined in a restaurant nearby. 


— david_dlr (@daviddlr)
January 9, 2015
Début d'évacuation de certains commerces proches on dirait, mais pas le notre! #prisedotage



This graphic has more detail on the location of the siege.




Updated at 2.49pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 2.00pm GMT09:00 

A police official has told AP that the man who has taken people hostage in a kosher market in Paris appears linked to the Charlie Hebdo suspects. 
 The official, who was not authorised to speak about the situation, said the man opened fire in the market Friday and declared “you know who I am”.
 Paris police released a photo of Amedy Coulibaly as a suspect in the killing of a policewoman on Thursday. The official named him as the man holed up in the market.
AP’s source said some hostages have been gravely wounded. Earlier AFP said two people had been killed. Reuters said one person was seriously injured and six hostages have been taken. 

Updated at 2.50pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 1.50pm GMT08:50 

A witness to the second siege has told French media what he saw at the kosher supermarket.
“There was an individual – African – who had a Kalashnikov ... and he immediately went into the deli and started shooting with his Kalashnikov,” said the man, who gave his name as Fabian.

Updated at 2.51pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 1.44pm GMT08:44 

Hayat Boumeddiene, who has just been named by the police as a suspect in the killing of a policewoman on Thursday, is the former partner of Amedy Coulibaly, according to Le Monde. French media reports that Coulibaly is the gunman holding hostages at the kosher supermarket siege. 


— Le Monde Live (@lemondelive)
January 9, 2015
Hayat Boumeddiene, dont le nom apparaît pour la première fois dans cette affaire, est l'ex compagne d'Amedy Coulibaly http://t.co/gkKm9x3Y1i




Updated at 1.53pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 1.33pm GMT08:33 
Police name two new suspects

The police have named two suspects wanted in connection with the shooting of a female police officer yesterday. They are Amedy Coulibaly and Hayat Boumeddiene. Police described them as “armed and dangerous”.
Police did not specify whether either were at the scene of the kosher supermarket siege but French media named Coulibaly as the suspect who took multiple hostages at the store.


— Hérisson Dissident ن (@Herissident)
January 9, 2015
Hayat Boumeddienne et Amedy Coulibaly #Montrouge #Vincennes Cc @FrDesouche pic.twitter.com/Jzx5Rfqaa7



AFP and BFM TV are both reporting two dead in the incident, writes Jon Henley in Paris. 
One of suspects is said to be 32 years old, with a long criminal record for thefts drug-related offences, and implicated in the same criminal investigation as Cherif Kouachi. 

Updated at 1.51pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 1.25pm GMT08:25 
'Two dead' in second siege

AFP reports two killed in the siege in eastern Paris, citing a source.


— Agence France-Presse (@AFP)
January 9, 2015
#BREAKING At least two killed in hostage drama east of Paris: source



The attacker is reported to have told police “you know who I am” in an apparent reference to Thursday’s shooting of a policewoman. 



Police at Porte de Vincennes, east of Paris, after a gunman opened fire at a kosher grocery store.
Photograph: Martin Bureau/AFP/Getty Images



Updated at 1.55pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 1.19pm GMT08:19 

France’s anti-terrorism prosecutor has confirmed a that shooting and hostage-taking attack is underway at a kosher market on the eastern edge of Paris, AP reports. A police official said there are multiple hostages and wounded people at the scene.
The French president ordered the country’s top security official to the scene, an official in the presidency told the Associated Press. The police official declined to be named when discussing the unfolding situation.

Updated at 2.52pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 1.18pm GMT08:18 

The shooting in Vincennes in eastern Paris lasted for 20 seconds, witnesses have said.


— itele (@itele)
January 9, 2015
Prise d'otages pte de Vincennes à #Paris > la fusillade a duré "une vingtaine de secondes" selon un témoin https://t.co/LlFoCqG5mI



There are conflicting reports about the number of people injured in the attack. France 24 reported that two people have been injured. France Info said one was injured. 
Reuters wraps up what it knows so far: 

Several people were taken hostage at a kosher supermarket in eastern Paris on Friday after a shootout involving a man armed with two guns, a police source said. 
 There were unconfirmed local media reports that the man was the same as the one suspected of killing a policewoman in a southern suburb of Paris on Thursday. 
 A police source had told Reuters earlier he was a member of the same jihadist group as the two suspects in Wednesday’s attack at weekly newspaper Charlie Hebdo. 
 The exact number of hostages was unclear. Local media spoke of at least five. The police source said the man was equipped with automatic weapons. 
 Police immediately cordoned off the area and a helicopter was flying overhead. Local media said Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve was rushing to the scene. 


Updated at 2.52pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 1.10pm GMT08:10 

This map pinpoints the four key locations in the dual sieges. 



.

Updated at 2.04pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 1.08pm GMT08:08 

Here’s a brief summary of what we know about both hostage situations:

Cherif and Said Kouachi, the two Parisian brothers suspected of the massacre at the Charlie Hebdo magazine, are on the run. Since the shooting on Wednesday the gunmen were reported to have robbed a petrol station near Villers-Cotterets, 70 miles north-east of Paris, and driven off with assault rifles and rocket launchers in the back of their car.
At around 8.30am GMT on Friday there were reports of shots being fired and hostages taken in Dammartin-en-Goele, 25km north-east of Paris.
Scores of armed police officers have surrounded an industrial estate in Danmartin-en-Goele.
The suspects took over a printworks after a shootout with armed police officers, sparking a major operation involving Swat teams and military helicopters.
Police are said to have opened hostage negotiations with the suspects as armed officers seal off the town, with schools on lockdown and residents told to stay indoors. A local MP told French media that the two suspects declared to police negotiators that they wanted to die as martyrs.
The siege is taking place close to Paris Charles De Gaulle airport, which has restricted flights to its southern runways, further away from the standoff.
Meanwhile, several people have been taken hostage in a second siege at a kosher supermarket in eastern Paris after shots were fired.
Police officers are in a standoff with the gunman in the second siege situation near the Porte de Vincennes. Roads near the supermarket were sealed off after the alarm was raised at around 12noon GMT. Reports in French media say the gunman is the same man suspected of killing policewoman Clarissa Jean-Philippe in Montrouge yesterday. There are reports that he is holding five hostages.


Updated at 2.07pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 1.04pm GMT08:04 

The supermarket where the second siege is understood to be taking place is Rue Albert Willemetz, a side street off the main intersection of porte de Vincennes and Boulevard de la Peripherique, writes Shiv Malik. 
From photos on Google maps, the supermarket appears to be a fairly nondescript one story dark grey building with Hyper Cacher – roughly translated as Super Kosher – emblazoned on the side of the building. It sits next to a petrol station and a deli and is located at the base of a tower block. 


— FRANCE 24 (@FRANCE24)
January 9, 2015
#BREAKING - Hostage taken at kosher shop in #Paris by ‘suspect in police officer shooting' https://t.co/4yt6nafpIg pic.twitter.com/f9N8Bjn68I





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 1.00pm GMT08:00 

President Hollande is overseeing operations in the Elysee’s situation room as the two hostage situations unfold.


— Élysée (@Elysee)
January 9, 2015
Le président @fhollande supervise les opérations dans la "situation room" du ministère de l'Intérieur, @Place_Beauvau pic.twitter.com/QTYYJPcBNM





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 12.58pm GMT07:58 
'Five' hostages in new siege

AFP is reporting that at least five hostages have been taken in thekosher supermarket at the porte de Vincennes.


— Didier Lauras (@didlauras)
January 9, 2015
Prise d'otages porte de Vincennes: au moins 5 personnes retenues (source proche) #AFP



Le Figaro reports that French interior minister BernardCazeneuve has gone to the porte de Vincennes.
Gun fire has been heard in a kosher bakery in porte de Vincennes, with employees and clients trapped in the basement, Le Point confirms . It also reports possible links with Thursday’s shooting Montrouge.
Le Monde is reporting that the entire area is being evacuated by police.A lawyer in the area confirmed an evacuation has been ordered. 


— Raquel Garrido (@RaquelGarridoPG)
January 9, 2015
Affollement Porte de Vincennes. Policiers en pare balle évacuent tout le monde. Opération en cours.





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 12.52pm GMT07:52 

BFM TV is reporting that the man suspected of killing policewoman Clarissa Jean-Philippe in Montrouge yesterday is holding five hostages, including women and children, at a kosher supermarket near the Porte de Vincennes in the 20th arrondissement in Paris, Jon Henley reports from Paris. 
The suspect reportedly told police officers at the scene: “You know who I am.” 
The channel said at least one person has been injured. 


— Corbiere Alexis (@alexiscorbiere)
January 9, 2015
opération de police en cours Porte de Vincennes pic.twitter.com/HCCUTPBpi5





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 12.46pm GMT07:46 
Image of new siege

A picture has emerged purporting to show the new siege in eastern Paris where a hostage has been taken after shots were fired. 


— david_dlr (@daviddlr)
January 9, 2015
Face à #hypercasher à #saintmande pic.twitter.com/iYYr3NxanO



The Twitter user reports nervous laughter in the restaurant as the siege unfolds.


— david_dlr (@daviddlr)
January 9, 2015
A l'intérieur du resto. L'ambiance varie entre les rires nerveux et les premiers signes de stress. #hypercasher #saintmande





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 12.35pm GMT07:35 

Here’s a gallery of the siege in Dammartin-en-Goele. 


 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 12.33pm GMT07:33 




Police and army helicopters hover above the scene at an industrial zone in Dammartin-en-Goele.
Photograph: Pascal Rossignol/Reuters




 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 12.30pm GMT07:30 
Shooting in Paris

There are reports of another shooting and a hostage taking in Paris. It is unclear whether it has any connection with the Charlie Hebdo attack.


— Agence France-Presse (@AFP)
January 9, 2015
#BREAKING New shooting breaks out in eastern Paris: source





— Agence France-Presse (@AFP)
January 9, 2015
#BREAKING Armed man takes hostage in kosher grocery in Paris: source



The shooting took place in Vincennes in the east of Paris, Le Figaro reports. 


— Le Figaro (@Le_Figaro)
January 9, 2015
ALERTE - Une fusillade éclate porte de #Vincennes à Paris http://t.co/znNKIDo2YJ pic.twitter.com/yKsniBUVPJ




Updated at 12.32pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 12.25pm GMT07:25 

A spokesman for France’s interior minister says that the priority is to establish a dialogue with the Charlie Hebdo gunmen, Reuters reports.
This comes about two hours after a local MP said police negotiators had already entered talks with the two suspects and that the pair said they wished to die as martyrs.


 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 12.15pm GMT07:15 

The Guardian’s Kim Willsher has sent this from the scene at Dammartin-en-Goele:

Locals say around 8.50am the brothers entered a small family printing business on the industrial estate. It is a small building about 200 sq m and employs five or six people. 
Since then calls to the company have gone unanswered. 
There was no information on how many people were at work when the gunmen went in.
The town authorities are evacuating around 1,000 local schoolchildren and students from the industrial zone where the siege is happening. 
Officials said their priority was to secure the towns four schools and take children into the town centre.



 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 12.11pm GMT07:11 

There are reports of heavy military vehicles being transported to the site of the siege at Dammartin-en-Goele, including helicopters and tanks. 
The Telegraph photographer Heathcliff Omalley has taken this photo of what appears to be a lorry transporting military tank and jeep over a bridge, my colleague Aisha Gani reports.


— Telegraph Pictures (@TelegraphPics)
January 9, 2015
Gallery: Tank & armoured car seen near #CharlieHebdo seige outside Paris (by @heathcliffom) http://t.co/KAlTe4Fmsd pic.twitter.com/9lyesZgpAL



The tank was also pictured by French newspaper Le Figaro:


— Le Figaro (@Le_Figaro)
January 9, 2015
DERNIÈRE MINUTE - Un tank a été aperçu par le @Telegraph #traque #CharlieHebdo http://t.co/lGFj3d5XJB pic.twitter.com/AKLliu5Hha



Clarification: A reader points out that the vehicle is not tank. The two vehicles are in fact a VBL and an AMX10RC - both armoured recce vehicles.

Updated at 12.39pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 12.08pm GMT07:08 




French President Francois Hollande in Paris with prime minister Manuel Valls to his right and interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve to his left, after a press conference at the French Interior ministry this morning.
Photograph: Patrick Kovarik/AFP/Getty Images




 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 12.07pm GMT07:07 

The Guardian’s Anne Penketh reports that the maintenance worker who was the first victim of the killers at Charlie Hebdo was shot dead on his first day working at the offices of the satirical magazine.
A friend told BFM TV news that Frédéric Boisseau, who was employed by facilities management company Sodexo, was standing in the reception area with a colleague when the Kalashnikov-toting killers burst into the building and asked for directions to Charlie Hebdo’s offices. They shot him before heading for the magazine’s office.


 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 12.00pm GMT07:00 

The man suspected of killing a policewoman in a southern suburb of Paris on Thursday before fleeing the scene was a member of the same jihadist group as the Kouachi brothers, a police source told Reuters.


 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 11.57am GMT06:57 

The Guardian graphic on the siege has been updated to include a little more detail.




Updated at 12.49pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 11.54am GMT06:54 

Angelique Chrisafis has more on the link between Thursday’s shooting of a policewoman and the suspects.

The French interior minister confirmed this morning that “important elements” had now been uncovered in the inquiry into another shooting which took place in Montrouge, just south of Paris, on Thursday January 8.
In the shooting, which happened less than 24 hours after the Charlie Hebdo attack, a 26-year-old police woman was killed. The heavily armed gunman, reported to be wearing a bullet-proof vest, fled by car and the hunt continues to find him.
Officials had initially suggested that there appeared to be no link with the Charlie Hebdo attack. But AFP now reports today, citing police sources, that a connection has indeed been established between the suspect in the Montrouge attack and the Kouachi brothers, the suspects behind the Charlie Hebdo shooting.
AFP reported that two arrests had been made, targeting people in the entourage of the Montrouge suspect. The suspect himself remains at large. 



 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 11.50am GMT06:50 

A man whose grey Renault Clio was stolen at gunpoint by the suspects after the Charlie Hebdo shooting has been speaking to Europe 1. He said:

The man was armed with a machine gun. I realised after that it was a Kalashnikov. I had my window open and he said to me: ‘Get out of your car, we need your car.’ I got out of the vehicle. At that moment a second person arrived who got into the passenger seat. He also had a gun with a kind of grenade at the end. It was undoubtedly a grenade launcher or something like that.

The man described the two men as being “very calm, very determined, very poised and very professional. Real commandos.” He said: “He never raised his voice, they never ran, they never seemed agitated. They weren’t sweating. Nothing at all like that. They gave the impression of being real operators. As they left they said to me: ‘If the media ask you anything, tell them that it’s al-Qaida in Yemen.’
The man had his grey Clio stolen in the rue de Meaux in Paris’ 19th arrondissement, near the Porte de Pantin. The suspects then hijacked a grey Peugeot after abandoning the Clio, which reportedly had run out of petrol.

Updated at 12.23pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 11.43am GMT06:43 

The French media is reporting a link between Thursday’s fatal shooting of a policewoman in southern Paris and the manhunt for the Kouachi brothers.


— Agence France-Presse (@afpfr)
January 9, 2015
Une "connexion" entre les frères Kouachi et le suspect de Montrouge (sources policières) #AFP



Alexandra Topping has more:

Two people have been arrested in connection with a fatal shooting in Montrouge south of Paris on Thursday, but a gunman remains at large. 
Police have identified a suspect in the shooting, which came a day after the attack on the Charlie Hebdo offices and left a female traffic police officer dead. Two arrests were made in the department of Essonne, in the southern greater Paris region – with those arrested said to have “very close links” to the suspected gunman, according to Le Point. 
The French news agency Agence France-Presse are reporting that a police source has linked the Montrouge shooting with the Charlie Hebdo massacre.
An unarmed man was arrested at the time of the attack but another gunman, believed to be armed with an automatic weapon, fled the scene and is believed to still be at large. 
The shooting happened on Thursday morning in the area of Montrouge, a commune 5km south of Paris. Witnesses reported seeing a collision between two cars before two gunmen emerged, at least one armed with an automatic weapon.
AFP reported that the officer had stopped to investigate the traffic accident when the firing started. The female police officer, who worked in traffic control, was shot in the back and had died. Another man, who police identified as a street sweeper, was injured. 
“There was an officer in front of a white car and a man running away who shot,” said witness Ahmed Sassi, who saw the shooting from his home nearby. He said the shooter wore dark clothes but no mask. “It didn’t look like a big gun because he held it with one hand,” Sassi said.
On Thursday police said they didn’t believe the attack was linked to the Charlie Hebdo attack and the minister of the interior, Bernard Cazeneuve, said it was too early to say whether the incident was related.
But today French media, including Le Point, are reporting that the Montrouge gunman and the Kouchai brothers were known to each other and were part of the same Jihadist network. 
The French radio station RTL has also linked the two attacks. Citing unnamed sources it states that the gunman was an associate of the Kouachi brothers and in 2004-2005 would have been part of the same “Buttes Charmont” group who organised for radicals to leave and fight in Iraq and Syria.


Updated at 12.22pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 11.31am GMT06:31 

Live footage of the scene showed scores of officers apparently entering the industrial estate where the suspected gunmen appear to have taken a person hostage.
The officers walked between two columns of pallets towards the grey buildings. A Sky News correspondent, who says he is 100 metres away from this scene, said officers moved calmly and without urgency.


— Troutman (@Metz_57)
January 9, 2015
Numerous Police forces gathering close to the CDT company where the hostage taking place! #dammartin #JeSuisCharlie pic.twitter.com/fy3e8SAU41




Updated at 12.17pm GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 11.15am GMT06:15 
Summary

Here’s a summary of what we know so far: 
• Scores of armed police officers have surrounded an industrial estate in Dammartin-en-Goele, north-east of Paris, where a police official has told AP the suspects in the Charlie Hebdo massacre have taken a person hostage.
• The gunmen took over a printworks after a shootout with armed police officers, sparking a major operation involving Swat teams and military helicopters.
• Police are said to have opened hostage negotiations with the suspects as armed officers seal off the town. A local MP told French media that the two suspects declared to police negotiators that they wanted to die as martyrs.
• The siege is taking place close to Paris Charles De Gaulle airport, which has restricted flights to its southern runways, further away from the standoff.
• A ministry of the interior spokesman confirmed to France Info radio that there was an exchange of fire with gendarmes who were manning a roadblock on the N2 motorway as the brothers approached Paris. No one was injured in the clash. The brothers then drove into the village’s industrial estate and took at least one hostage.
• The Paris prosecutor’s office has denied reports that one person has been killed in a shootout. 
• Three primary schools and one high school in the area are on lockdown. Police have warned residents in the area to stay indoors.

Updated at 11.34am GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 11.13am GMT06:13 
Police official at scene says suspects have taken hostage

Both Xavier Castaing, the chief Paris police spokesman, and town hall spokeswoman Audrey Taupenas said there appeared to be one hostage inside the print workshop building. 
A police official, who was on the scene, told the Associated Press that there was a hostage.

Updated at 11.24am GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 11.10am GMT06:10 

Footage taken from a car following shows French police chasing a vehicle on the A2 motorway near the scene of where officers had been hunting Saïd and Chérif Kouachi.








    Sorry, your browser is unable to play this video. 



Later helicopters were seen over Dammartin-en-Goële where at least one hostage was seized.








    Sorry, your browser is unable to play this video. 




Updated at 11.11am GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 11.08am GMT06:08 

Last night the Guardian hosted a debate about the Charlie Hebdo attack. Here’s a video of the highlights:








    Sorry, your browser is unable to play this video. 





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 11.06am GMT06:06 

Residents of Dammartin-en-Goele have been describing their fears. 
Irène, 82, who lives in the road next to where the printing company is based, told Liberation: 

I saw a lot of police officers in the street so I switched on my television, and that’s how I found out what was happening. The police officers did not come and see me, I did not get any specific information. I’m scared, I’m really scared. My blinds are open but I don’t dare go near the window to shut them. All my children are calling me because they are scared for me. I can hear helicopters flying around but I can’t hear gunshots.

One resident tweeted that he had been told to stay indoors.


— Jéjé ✌️MaFemme K. ❤️ (@JeremyPereiira)
January 9, 2015
C'est a 5min de chez moi putain ! On le reveille en surssaut tout le monde m'envoi des Msgs ! J'bouge pas de chez moi !



Two residents, tweeting from the area, reported hearing shots. These are unconfirmed reports. One claimed to be in a school. 


— Volim te P (@MarionGenay)
January 9, 2015
Une fusillade a coter de mon lycée normal ! On est enfermé dans le lycée interdit de sortir





— Juliette ✨ (@JulietteDelbecq)
January 9, 2015
fusillade et prise d'otage à Dammartin, interdiction de sortir du lycée





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 11.00am GMT06:00 




Screengrab taken from Dammartin-en-Goele’s website explaining to residents that there is a police operation in progress.
Photograph: mairie-dammartin-en-goele.fr




 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 10.57am GMT05:57 

A Guardian graphic pinpoints the exact location of the siege: 





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 10.55am GMT05:55 

Images of the siege have emerged from a resident of Dammartin-en-Goele, reports the Observers, a weekly show on the France 24 TV network.


— The Observers (@Observers)
January 9, 2015
A person living near the #Dammartin hostage scene sent us these photos #CharlieHebdo #obs pic.twitter.com/FKHD1fGt03




Updated at 11.00am GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 10.44am GMT05:44 

This image shows an aerial view of the building where the Paris shooting suspects are believed to be holed up, Création Tendance Decouverte, in the small community of Dammartin-en-Goele. 



An aerial view of the printing business where the Charlie Hebdo suspects are holed up.
Photograph: Google Maps/Google Street View



Updated at 10.50am GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 10.38am GMT05:38 

Teachers in the locked down primary schools in Dammartin are trying to reassure pupils by singing nursery rhymes, according to the Guardian’s Kim Willsher.


— Kim Willsher (@kimwillsher1)
January 9, 2015
#CharlyHebdo teacher in siege town says trying to keep children from panicking by singing rhymes and sitting on floor away from windows.



She also reports seeing ambulances arriving at the scene and a heavy police build up. 


— Kim Willsher (@kimwillsher1)
January 9, 2015
#CharlieHebdo another ambulance with police escort speeding up Route National. Journalists being kept well out of place.





— Kim Willsher (@kimwillsher1)
January 9, 2015
#CharlieHebdo.Dammartin-en-Goele. Helicopter hovering nearby but visibility hampered by rain and fog.heavily armed gendarmes everywhere.





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 10.32am GMT05:32 

France Info radio has obtained an extraordinary account from a salesman who said he shook one of the suspect’s hands when they arrived at the printing business at 8.30am this morning, writes Angelique Chrisafis in Paris.

The man, who would only gave his name as Didier, said he had an appointment with Michel, the owner of the printing and publicity material business. Didier said he shook one of the gunmen’s hands who he took to be police special operations officer. He was dressed in black and was heavily armed with at least one rifle.
He said when he arrived at the business his client came out to meet him with what he took to be a policeman, dressed in black combat gear, with a bullet-proof vest. 
“We all shook hands and my client told me to leave.” Didier added that the man he took to be the policeman said: “Go, we don’t kill civilians”. He added “I thought was strange.”
He said: “As I left I didn’t know what it was, it wasn’t normal. I did not know what was going on. Was it a hostage taking or a burglary?”



 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 10.30am GMT05:30 

Hollande has just given a press conference at the French Interior ministry which didn’t shed any light on the siege. 
He said those taking part in planned demonstrations this weekend will be protected by the police. 
He praised the strong “international solidarity” for France in the wake of the attack. 
Hollande said he had confidence in the way the security service had handled the aftermath of the attack on Charlie Hebdo’s offices. He added: “I have confidence in our country. Our capabilities are better when we are together.”
He did not make any direct reference to the siege in Dammartin-en-Goele. 


 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 10.20am GMT05:20 

L’Obs newsweekly is reporting that accoridng to several sources, mobile phones are no longer working in Dammartin. 
Caoline Morais, who works in the mayor’s office in the town, has told Le Monde: “We are trapped inside, everyone has been shut inside. We are a bit like you, we’re following everything online.”


 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 10.15am GMT05:15 

French special forces have been seen on the roof of a building near the scene of the siege. 


— AFP Photo Department (@AFPphoto)
January 9, 2015
Special forces stands on the roof of a building in Dammartin-en-Goele where a hostage-taking is underway #AFP pic.twitter.com/gcm7TRRVfd





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 10.13am GMT05:13 

One MP has suggested that negotiating with the suspects is futile.


— Angelique Chrisafis (@achrisafis)
January 9, 2015
Yves Albarello, UMP MP for Seine-et-Marne has told @itele: "the two fugitives declared they wanted to die as martyrs."





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 10.08am GMT05:08 

Charles de Gaulle airport is partially closed as the operation in Dammartin-en-Goele, roughly 8 miles away, continues the Air News Agency reports. 


— Air News agency (@airlivenet)
January 9, 2015
ALERT Reports: Charles de Gaulle airport partially closed as police conduct operation to detain to Paris attac... http://t.co/fHjqxO6ggU



 Some reports suggest that runways have been closed while others say that flights are being turned away.
Flightradar24 says that all runways at CDG are open but northern runways are being used for take-off only. Two flights, AF47 and AF1695, were prevented from landing at Charles-de-Gaulle airport, according to reports.


— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24)
January 9, 2015
All runways at CDG are open, but northern runways are used for take offs only http://t.co/f6WtqYcvSa pic.twitter.com/ZXUQFryBDS





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 10.03am GMT05:03 

The deputy mayor of Paris, Patrick Klugman, has told Sky News that families of the Charlie Hebdo victims were being kept abreast of the ongoing operation this morning.
He described a “very tense moment of emotion” during a ceremony in Paris to remember the dead, which took place shortly before the siege in Dammartin-en-Goele.
“We are living our kind of 9/11,” he said. “As soon as this attack [happened] Paris citizens came together to show were are not afraid, we are Charlie Hebdo.”


 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 10.03am GMT05:03 




Création Tendance Découverte, a printing business in Dammartin-en-Goële where the shoot out is taking place.
Photograph: Google Earth




 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 10.02am GMT05:02 
Shots confirmed

The French authorities have confirmed that shots were fired at a roadblock but denied reports of injuries, writes Angelique Chrisafis. 

A Ministry of the Interior spokesman confirmed to France Info radio that there was an exchange of fire with gendarmes who were manning a roadblock on the N2 motorway as the brothers approached Paris. No one was injured in the clash. The brothers then drove into the village’s industrial estate and have taken at least one hostage.
He could not confirm that the police had established contact with the brothers, but said there is always a “phase of negotiation” in these type of siege situation, and denied that an assault was in progress.



 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 9.58am GMT04:58 

French President François Hollande is due to attend a briefing on the apparent siege. He is expected at the interior ministry for an update on the situation. 


 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 9.54am GMT04:54 

More detail is emerging on the location of the apparent siege: 



Le Monde reports that the company at the centre of the police operation, Création Tendance Decouverte, makes signs and exhibition stands for other companies. Its head office is in Paris. The police operation is taking place at its workshop which is in Dammartin-en-Goële.
AFP says one person is being held hostage in the building. 


 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 9.48am GMT04:48 
Audio update from siege town

Dammartin-en-Goele is completely sealed off by police Kim Willsher reports in a phone update from the edge of the town. “It’s a very confusing situation” she said amid unconfirmed reports of injuries in a shoot out and hostages being taken. 





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 9.38am GMT04:38 




French armed forces helicopter flies over Dammartin-en-Goele.
Photograph: Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images




 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 9.37am GMT04:37 




French armed forces arrive in Dammartin-en-Goele.
Photograph: Christian Hartmann/Reuters




 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 9.35am GMT04:35 

Grégory, a local resident in Dammartin, told BFMTV by phone that locals were staying at home behind locked doors, writes Angelique Chrisafis.

 He said he was around 300m from the building involved in the police operation, describing it as a small building on the industrial site. He said he had only realised what was going on this morning when a massive police contingent arrived in the area and helicopters began circling overhead. “Everyone is blocked in their homes behind locked doors.”



 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 9.26am GMT04:26 
Summary

Here’s a brief rundown, from Josh Halliday, on what we know so far about the siege:

A major operation is underway in Danmartin-en-Goele, north-east of Paris, the French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve has said. 
The Charlie Hebdo suspects are reportedly holed up at a printing business on an industrial estate and have taken at least one hostage.
 Police officers are said to have opened hostage negotiations with the suspects amid reports that shots were fired during a car chase earlier on Friday morning.
The Paris prosecutor’s office has denied reports that one person has been killed in a shootout. Three primary schools in the area are on lockdown.


Updated at 9.37am GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 9.21am GMT04:21 

AFP says the siege is taking place in a printing business not a construction firm.

The suspects were holed up in a small printing business named CTD, a source close to the investigation said. “It’s not sure how many people are inside,” the source said. 

It also quoted a source denying that Reuters claim of one fatality in the shoot out. 

Updated at 9.23am GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 9.18am GMT04:18 

Reuters reports that least one person was killed and several injured in shootout before at least one hostage was taken in Dammartin-en-Goele in France. This is all unverified by the authorities, who have only confirmed that a major operation is under way. 



Two helicopters fly over Dammartin-en-Goele, where a major operation is underway for the suspects in the Charlie Hebdo shootings.
Photograph: JOEL SAGET/AFP/Getty Images



Updated at 9.33am GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 9.13am GMT04:13 

Le Figaro has published an image of the building where the siege is believed to be taking place.


— Le Figaro (@Le_Figaro)
January 9, 2015
La prise d'otage aurait lieu dans l'entreprise Création Tendance Découverte #CharlieHebdo http://t.co/lGFj3d5XJB pic.twitter.com/oOX8nr9SSp





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 9.08am GMT04:08 

Pupils at three primary schools in Dammartin-en-Goele have been told to stay inside their classrooms, according to France Info.


— France Info (@franceinfo)
January 9, 2015
Les élèves confinés dans les trois écoles primaires et au lycée de Dammartin-en-Goële. #fusillade #traque





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 9.05am GMT04:05 
Summary

Police are reported to have entered negotiations with the suspects amid still unconfirmed claims that they are holding at least one hostage. 


— Le Figaro (@Le_Figaro)
January 9, 2015
DERNIÈRE MINUTE - Les négociations avec les fugitifs auraient commencé #traque #CharlieHebdo http://t.co/lGFj3d5XJB pic.twitter.com/uChwntIDku





— itele (@itele)
January 9, 2015
Prise d'otage à Dammartin-en-Goële : une personne est aux mains des suspects (@itele) pic.twitter.com/RxafYCpf04



AFP has this brief account:

 Shots were fired during a car chase and at least one hostage was taken to the north-east of Paris Friday, in the same area police were hunting for two brothers accused of slaughtering 12 people in an Islamist assault. 
The hostage drama was underway at a business in Dammartin-en-Goele, to the north-east of Paris, and came 48 hours into a massive manhunt for the Islamist gunmen who attacked the Charlie Hebdo offices on Wednesday. 
It was not immediately clear how many people were being held hostage, according to a police source close to the investigation. 



 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 9.01am GMT04:01 

Here’s a map showing where the “major operation” is underway.




Updated at 9.03am GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 8.59am GMT03:59 

A BBC correspondent in the area reports seeing five helicopters above an industrial area on the edge of Dammartin-en-Goele. 
There are unconfirmed reports that the suspects have occupied the offices of a construction company. Reports of hostages being taken are also unconfirmed, but a siege appears to be underway. 

Updated at 9.03am GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 8.51am GMT03:51 

A hostage taking is under way in a business in the town of Dammartin-en-Goele, near Charles de Gaulle airport, Le Figaro reports. At least one person is believed to have been taken by the suspects.
 Earlier, the suspects hijacked a grey Peugeot after abandoning their hijacked Renault Clio, which reportedly had run out of petrol.


— Le Figaro (@Le_Figaro)
January 9, 2015
.@BCazeneuve : «Une opération est en cours à #DammartinenGoele » #traque #CharlieHebdo http://t.co/lGFj3d5XJB pic.twitter.com/fdpClIis8t




Updated at 9.03am GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 8.48am GMT03:48 
'Major operation' confirmed

French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve has confirmed that a major operation is underway in Dammartin-en-Goele where police helicopters have been deployed. 


— itele (@itele)
January 9, 2015
Bernard Cazeneuve : "une opération est en cours à Dammartin-en-Goële, le GIGN se rend sur place" http://t.co/ursrK4Wk9b





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 8.42am GMT03:42 
Three helicopters deployed

Three helicopters have been deployed over the town Dammartin-en-Goele 40km north-east of Paris, according to Le Figaro.


— Le Figaro (@Le_Figaro)
January 9, 2015
DERNIÈRE MINUTE - 3 hélicoptères sont mobilisés à #DammartinEnGoele #traque #CharlieHebdo http://t.co/2A0s2WxBmZ pic.twitter.com/ObUbpLfUZq





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 8.38am GMT03:38 
'Shots fired' and 'hostages taken' in manhunt

There are unconfirmed reports that shots have been fired and hostages taken in the manhunt for the Kouachi brothers.


— RFI English (@RFI_English)
January 9, 2015
Shots fired on road where Charlie Hebdo killers spotted http://t.co/TlM5hCkACA





— Agence France-Presse (@AFP)
January 9, 2015
#BREAKING Hostages taken north-east of Paris: police



Meanwhile AP reports that the suspects have stolen another car. It cites a security source. 


— The Associated Press (@AP)
January 9, 2015
BREAKING: French security source: Suspects in newspaper shooting stole car, on move again





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 8.25am GMT03:25 

The Guardian’s al-Qaida expert Jason Burke, has more on Cherif Kouachi’s reported links with the terrorist network. 

Djamal Beghal is the Algerian-born French militant who reportedly became Cherif Kouachi’s mentor in prison in 2005 and 2006 France when the suspected Charlie-Hebdo attacker was detained for his involvement in a network funnelling volunteers to fight the US in Iraq alongside al-Qaida. 
He is also an example of how the now long-forgotten violent struggles of the early 1990s in many Islamic countries against militants still have an impact 20 years or more later, and how extremism continues to function through personal rather than organisational links.
Beghal had come to France in the mid 1980s from Algeria, married a French woman, gained citizenship and lived in a run-down towerblock on the outskirts of Paris. Active in militant circles since the beginning of the civil war in Algeria in 1992, he was picked up by French police on suspicion of membership of the brutal Algerian outfit, the Groupe Islamique Armée (GIA), in or around 1995.
In 1997 Beghal and his family moved to Britain, settling in Leicester. Beghal told interrogators in Dubai – in a confession that he later said was extracted under torture - that his aim was to merely to study with the London-based Jordanian radical cleric Abu Qutada whose taped lectures he had frequently heard in France. 
Abu Qutada encouraged his admirer to distribute texts and tapes of his speeches across the Channel. “Abu Qutada never asked me to set up a network for him in France but just to spread his message,” Beghal said in his interrogation. French investigators did not believe this is the truth.
During this time Beghal spent time at the Finsbury Park mosque, then under the influence of Abu Hamza. Extradited from the UK, Hamza was convicted in the US last year of 11 charges of instigating terrorist acts.
In 1998 Beghal and his spiritual mentor discussed the duty of hijra, the flight of the faithful from impious lands, he told investigators. Afghanistan was mentioned as a possible destination. 
In the autumn of 2000, Beghal travelled to Afghanistan where he underwent basic training at a camp run by bin Laden’s associates near Kabul.
Investigators believed he made the journey specifically to seek help from al-Qaida with a plan to blow up the US embassy in Paris. Beghal said the idea was al-Qaida’s.
In the spring of 2001 Beghal told his interrogators he was contacted by an aide of Osama bin Laden. 
“He told me that the time for action had come and asked me if I was ready. I said I was and he said that the plan was to blow up the US embassy in Paris. He gave me three presents: a stick of niswak (wood used for cleaning teeth), a bottle of perfume and a prayer cap. He said they were from bin Laden. He told me that 350,000 Francs ($55,000) had been placed in a bank account in Morocco for me.”
Beghal claimed he had been radicalised in the Afghan camps but before that he had shunned violence. However he was convicted by a French court after being arrested in August 2001 and sentenced to ten years in prison.
It was there that he met Cherif Kouachi and appears to have played a role familiar to intelligence services working to counter Islamic militancy – of the older veteran who reinforces and channels a younger man’s existing extremist tendencies - much as Qatada or bin Laden may have done for him.



— itele (@itele)
January 9, 2015
#CharlieHebdo > Les liens de Chérif Kouachi avec le terrorisme http://t.co/t7DY5Os18W pic.twitter.com/cVQE9gflZG





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 8.14am GMT03:14 

In Britain Sir Malcolm Rifkind, chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee, has backed MI5’s call for snooping powers in the wake of Wednesday’s killings.



Sir Malcolm Rifkind
Photograph: PA/PA


Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme Rifkind said: 

I do entirely endorse what’s been said by Sir Andrew Parker, the head of MI5, that the evidence suggests that terrorist threat in the UK is as serious as it has ever been ... As Mr Parker pointed out the intelligence agencies are finding it increasingly difficult to be able to intercept communications between terrorists and people they are working with.
What is emerging in Paris is that the two individual responsible for the terrible massacre at Charlie Hebdo were communicating with people in the Yemen over the last days, last few weeks. 
The hugely important objective is to enable intelligence agencies to be able to get hold of these communications to try to prevent incidents of this kind ...
What we are talking about is ensuring that they have the technical capability and the legal authority to use modern methods to target, to find individuals who may be plotting serious crime ...
We know from Paris that these individuals were already on the radar screen. 
What’s at issue is whether the communication companies ... should be required to keep records so that if at any stage there is a need to consider interception it can be done under lawful authority. 





Updated at 8.17am GMT

 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 7.48am GMT02:48 
Islamic State praises attackers as heros

The Islamic State group, which control large parts of Iraq and Syria, has praised the gunmen behind the Charlie Hebdo killings as “heroic jihadists”.
Citing the monitoring monitoring group Site Intelligence, Reuters reports: 

 Site said Islamic State praised the gunmen in a brief note in its daily audio bulletin, which was distributed on Twitter and jihadi forums on Thursday. 
 “We start our bulletin with France. Heroic jihadists killed 12 journalists and wounded ten others working in the French magazine Charlie Hebdo, and that was support for our master (Prophet) Mohammad, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him,” according to the audio bulletin. 



— SITE Intel Group (@siteintelgroup)
January 8, 2015
IS Regards Charlie Hebdo Gunmen as “Heroic Jihadists” in Audio Bulletin http://t.co/0O2vdXXdHT





 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 




 7.33am GMT02:33 
Summary

Welcome to the third day of our live coverage of the aftermath of the deadly attack on Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris as a massive manhunt for the two suspected gunmen continues.
Here’s a summary of the latest developments

Tens of thousands of French troops have joined the police hunt for the suspects which is currently focused on large wooded area north east of Paris. Police have deployed sniffer dogs, heat seeking cameras and helicopters around the towns of Longpont and Villers-Cotterêts in the Aisne region, close to where the suspect brothers were reported to have robbed a petrol station.
More details have emerged about what counter terrorist authorities knew about the suspects, Chérif Kouachi, 32, and Saïd Kouachi, 34. The French justice minister that Said Kouachi had travelled to Yemen, where US officials said he had trained with al-Qaeda. Both brothers were also on a US no-fly list. Chérif Kouachi was arrested trying to travel to Iraq in 2005 and later imprisoned for helping to channel fighters to Iraq.
While in prison Cherif Kouachi is reported to have met key al-Qaida operative, Djamel Beghal, who is alleged to have recruited shoe bomber, Richard Reid. A photograph has emerged purporting to show Cherif Kouachi alongside Beghal.
A rally against the attack is planned for Paris on Sunday. Officials have announced the exclusion of Marine Le Pen and her National Front.
Surviving journalists at Charlie Hebdo magazine are being offered help to continue publishing the magazine after they confirmed plans to print a million copies of next week’s edition. The French culture minister called for the release of 1m euros to sustain Charlie Hebdo. Donations have been pledged by the Guardian and Google as the French media launched a fundraising drive. The French paper Libération said it would host Charlie Hebdo for the production of forthcoming issues. 
Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales has signalled plans to publish the Charlie Hebdo cartoons of the prophet Muhammad which appear to have prompted the attack. British media outlets, including the Guardian, have been defending their decision not to reprint the cartoons. 
The head of Britain’s security agency MI5 has called for more powers to deal with growing threat of terrorists in the wake of Wednesday’s attack. Andrew Parker said: “My sharpest concern is the growing gap between the increasingly challenging threat and the decreasing availability of capabilities to address it.”

You can catch up on our previous live blog here.


 Facebook 
 Twitter 
 Google plus 
  expand 


 Share 




Share this post



Facebook
 


Twitter
 


Google plus
 
  close 







Topics



Charlie Hebdo attack




Paris




France




Europe




Al-Qaida



More…



Freedom of speech




Yemen




UK security and counter-terrorism








Share on Facebook







Share on Twitter







Share via Email







Share on LinkedIn







Share on Google+







Share on WhatsApp




























View all comments >







comments 
Sign in
or create your Guardian account to join the discussion.

This discussion is closed for comments.

We’re doing some maintenance right now. You can still read comments, but please come back later to add your own.


Commenting has been disabled for this account (why?)







Order by 


newest


oldest




Show 25


25


50


100




Threads 


collapsed


expanded


unthreaded





Loading comments… Trouble loading?




View more comments







 






related content













popular







 








The Guardian






back to top














home




US




world
selected




opinion




sports




soccer




tech




arts




lifestyle




fashion




business




money




travel




environment







all sections
close







home




US




world
selected




UK




europe




americas




asia




middle east




africa




australia






opinion




sports




soccer




MLS




NFL




MLB




NBA




NHL






soccer




live scores




tables




competitions




results




fixtures




clubs






tech




games






arts




movies




tv & radio




music




books




art & design




stage




classical






lifestyle




food




health




love & sex




family




women




home & garden






fashion




business




markets




companies






money




travel




USA




europe




UK






environment




development




cities






science




media




crosswords




video











World




›
Charlie Hebdo attack








jobs

subscribe
all topics
all contributors

info and resources

contact us

feedback

complaints & corrections
terms & conditions
privacy policy
cookie policy
securedrop


© 2015 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved.






















 
