A state of emergency has been declared across France after attacks on restaurants, a concert hall and a sports stadium in Paris killed at least 120 people, sowing widespread fear.
Four gunmen killed up to 80 young people attending a rock concert at the Bataclan music hall on Friday evening, city hall officials said. Heavily armed policemen eventually launched an assault on the building.
About 40 more people were killed in five other attacks in the Paris region, officials said, including an apparent double suicide bombing outside the national stadium, where Hollande and the German foreign minister were watching a friendly football match against Germany. Some 200 people were injured.
The coordinated assault came as France, a member of the US-led coalition waging air strikes against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) fighters in Syria and Iraq, was on high alert for attacks.
Paris Public Prosecutor Francois Molins said the death toll was at least 120. His spokeswoman said eight assailants had also died, seven of whom had blown themselves up with explosive belts at various locations, while one had been shot dead by police.
As France awakened on Saturday, security was tight across the capital, where about 1,500 soldiers were deployed, leave was cancelled for police personnel and and hospitals recalled staff to cope with the casualties.
Three restaurants and a shopping centre were also targeted in shooting attacks.
Reports also said that Paris has cancelled all public transportation services including the Metro on Saturday, as French newspapers decried a “War in the heart of Paris” with black mastheads.
FRANCE24
Paris has been rocked by a string of deadly attacks, leaving at least 120 people dead in six locations around the city, in the deadliest violence to strike France since World War II. Follow FRANCE 24’s live blog for all the latest developments.
At least 120 people are reported to have died in a string of attacks that began Friday evening just after 10pm local time in six locations in and around Paris.
Here’s what we know so far:
- Police have reported eight of the militants killed, seven of them via suicide bombings
- Around 200 people have been injured, 80 seriously
- Prosecutor’s office warns that “accomplices” could still be on loose
- President François Hollande has declared a state of emergency and ordered increased border checks
- Police have set up a special emergency number to call if you need help: 197
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