Death toll revised to around 120
A Paris city hall official said four gunmen systematically slaughtered at least 87 young people attending a rock concert at the Bataclan music hall. Anti-terrorist commandos eventually launched an assault on the building. The gunmen detonated explosive belts and dozens of shocked survivors were rescued.
Some 40 more people were killed in five other attacks in the Paris region, the city hall official said, including an apparent double suicide bombing outside the national stadium, where Hollande and the German foreign minister were watching a friendly soccer international.
Some 200 people were injured.
Paris public prosecutor François 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.
Updated
What we know so far
- At least 120 people are feared to have been killed in a series of devastating attacks across Paris on Friday evening.
- Eight attackers also died, police say, seven of them by detonating explosive suicide belts.
- Police continue to search for accomplices who might still be at large.
- Two hundred people were injured, 80 of them seriously.
- Shootings and explosions were reported in six locations across the city, including the Stade de France in northern Paris, where two suicide attacks and a bombing took place as the national team played Germany in a friendly football match.
- The majority of victims died after a mass shooting inside the Bataclan concert venue.
- Shootings also took place in restaurants and other sites in the centre of the city.
- President François Hollande, who was at the Stade de France at the time of the assaults, said:
We are going to lead a war which will be pitiless. Because when terrorists are capable of committing such atrocities they must be certain that they are facing a determined France, a united France, a France that is together and does not let itself be moved, even if today we express infinite sorrow.
- A state of emergency has been declared across France and security at the country's borders has been tightened.
- Paris residents have been told to stay in their homes.
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This graphic pinpoints the six locations and the latest death tolls at each; these could, of course, change.
Two hundred people have been injured, 80 of them seriously.
— AP Interactive (@AP_Interactive) November 14, 2015
Eight extremists dead following deadly #ParisAttacks – as many as 120 Parisians dead: https://t.co/k7NGIOWro9 http://pic.twitter.com/Z56qt6tg9Q
Eight terrorists dead
Le Monde reports on the mobilisation of emergency services to cope with this unprecedented attack:
- 450 firefighters from the Paris fire brigade of Paris, plus a further 280 from outer surburbs.
- All officers of police HQ at 36, quai des Goldsmiths – around 200 – along with 800 highway police officers to secure the area and to ensure order in the streets.
- 46 crews (about 150 people) from the outer suburbs to support highway safety.
- 1,500 soldiers deployed as reinforcements.
- 36 hospitals to receive the injured.
- Police presence at several toll motorways outside Paris.
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The US defence secretary, Ash Carter, has called the attacks "horrific and barbaric", adding:
The United States stands with the people of France and its vibrant, multicultural democracy …
We have never stood closer than we do now. Vive la France.
— Kevin Baron (@DefenseBaron) November 14, 2015
JUST IN: US SecDef Ash Carter's statement http://pic.twitter.com/hWWQBGNFIN
The Bataclan, on the boulevard Voltaire in the east of Paris, is one of the city's most famous music venues. Built in 1864 in a faux-Chinese pagoda style, with a horseshoe-shaped auditorium, it can host a crowd of 1,500 people standing.
Sitting on a busy junction in an area known for its nightlife, it has played host to a galaxy of musical stars, including Edith Piaf, The Clash, Nick Cave and Lou Reed.
On Friday night, it was playing host to a sold-out crowd, there to watch the band Eagles of Death Metal on Friday night when the building was stormed by gunmen, who took and subsequently killed hostages. At least 118 people have been reported dead at the Bataclan alone.
(Eyewitness accounts from inside the Bataclan here.)
The Eagles of Death Metal are a band from Palm Desert, California. Their style is described as a mix of blues, bluegrass and garage-rock; their name was originally chosen to juxtapose the death metal genre image with folk-rock band The Eagles.
The band has two consistent members: Jesse Hughes and Josh Homme, who is also the lead singer for the rock band Queens of the Stone Age. They have worked in the past with Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl and Tenacious D singer and actor Jack Black.
This photo (posted on Instagram by @zsuzsulla) was reportedly taken in Bataclan concert hall before the co-ordinated bomb and gun attacks on the city.
It apparently shows Eagles of Death Metal on stage prior to the attack. The Guardian is seeking to verify this.
'All attackers are dead' – police
What we know about the attackers
In short: very little so far. Here is what is known.
- The Paris prosecutor has said that five attackers may be dead across the various attack locations.
- Reports says three were killed in the operation by French security forces to retake the Bataclan.
- It was also reported that there were two suicide attacks at the Stade de France.
- It is not known how many attackers were involved and how many could still be at large.
- The prosecutor has said "accomplices" may still be on the loose.
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Meanwhile in New York, police said they have bolstered security at several high-profile locations in response to the attacks in Paris, including counterterrorism officers sent to tourist-heavy areas and the French consulate in midtown Manhattan, according to Reuters.
"Teams have been dispatched to crowded areas around the city out of an abundance of caution to provide police presence and public reassurance as we follow the developing situation overseas," the NYPD said in a statement. Officers have been deployed to other French government locations in the city, and NYPD intelligence bureau officers in France are assisting Paris police "in any way possible".
New York's mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted a message of support to Paris after the news began to break:
— Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio) November 13, 2015Heart is heavy with news from overseas. Along with all of NYC, @chirlane and I are holding you in our thoughts and prayers tonight, Paris.
The Los Angeles County sheriff's department said that it had received "no credible threats" to the city.
Massachusetts state police bolstered security around the state house in Boston and deployed additional law enforcement resources across the city, according to a statement, and St Louis police say they added an extra layer of security for a world cup qualifying soccer match Friday night as well.
— Boston Police Dept. (@bostonpolice) November 13, 2015The #BPD sends our thoughts and prayers to entire #Paris community during this extremely difficult time. God Bless
Washington DC mayor Muriel Bowser said that police had deployed additional resources to French government sites as well as "other high-profile locations," but said there was no imminent threat to the district.
— Jon Swaine (@jonswaine) November 14, 2015
One World Trade Center 🇫🇷 http://pic.twitter.com/PkhthDMHDQ
President François Hollande has visited the Bataclan, the concert hall where 120 people are reported to have been killed.
He says France will show no mercy in tracking down terrorists.
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Agence France-Presse has this locator map of what it reports are the seven locations of the attacks:
— Agence France-Presse (@afpfr) November 14, 2015
Attentats à Paris : des attaques dans 7 lieux différents #AFP http://pic.twitter.com/2t3zJkZr02
The Guardian is still working to verify the number and location of the attacks.
Separately, the Paris prosecutor has spoken of six separate attacks. It is clearly a confusing picture as everyone – authorities and media included – tries to pick their way through a devastating night.
Updated
Angelique Chrisafis reports from Paris:
Near the Bataclan, a bar brassserie had been turned into an emergency medical centre and emergency medical staff were still working. Medical supplies, presumed to include blood donations, had been rushed there earlier.
Ambulances had been scrambled from around Paris and surrounding towns.
Survivors who were able to walk were ushered by Red Cross workers towards another designated bar further away in the 3rd arrondissement for psychological support.
What we know so far
This is Claire Phipps taking over from Kevin Rawlinson to continue our live coverage of the devastating attacks in Paris that have left at least 140 people dead.
The news is still unfolding, and casualty numbers are changing quickly.
But here is what we know at this stage:
- A state of emergency has been declared across France, after at least 140 people were killed in terrorist attacks around Paris.
- Shootings took place in a number of locations around the capital, including at least two restaurants and the Bataclan concert hall, with further explosions –reported to be two suicide attacks and a bombing – outside the Stade de France, where the national side were playing Germany in a football match.
- About 100 people were taken hostage at Bataclan in the 11th arrondissement, in what is thought to be a coordinated attack. Security forces have now killed two attackers in the Bataclan concert hall but police report at least 118 people – many of them young people attending a rock concert – are believed to have died there.
- French president François Hollande has ordered the closing of the country's borders to prevent the escape of the attackers, who have so far not been apprehended.
- Hollande said there were "unprecedented terror attacks under way in Paris" and authorities have warned residents to stay inside.
- The Australian foreign minister, Julie Bishop, said there had been six separate terrorist attacks, beginning at around 9.30pm French time.
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My colleague in Westminster, Nicholas Watt, sends this:
An emergency meeting of senior British officials is expected be held in Whitehall on Saturday as the UK assesses the implications of the attack in Paris.
Britain's intelligence agencies moved quickly on Friday night to offer assistance to their French counterparts. The British embassy in Paris was placed in "full response mode".
It is understood, however, that officials are unlikely to raise the threat level in the UK, which is currently set at the second highest level of "severe". The highest level of "critical" is only declared if intelligence is received of an imminent attack in the UK.
Threat levels in the UK are set by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre and the domestic security service MI5.
David Cameron still fully expects to travel to the G20 summit, which opens in Antalya, Turkey on Sunday. François Hollande has announced that he will not attend, though France will be represented by its prime minister Laurent Fabius.
The G20 was due, before news of the Paris attacks, to issue a statement condemning terrorism after the recent bombings in Ankara. The G8 summit in Gleneagles in 2005 was interrupted by the 7/7 bombings. Tony Blair flew down to London amid heavy security after the attacks. He then returned to the summit.
David Cameron tweeted on Friday night: "I am shocked by events in Paris tonight. Our thoughts and prayers are with the French people. We will do whatever we can to help."
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Death toll rises to 140
French police: Bataclan death toll at least 100 people
Updated
Two gunmen killed at the Bataclan - AP
More details on the ending of that operation at the Bataclan:
The AP is now citing two Paris police officials as saying that security forces have ended their assault on the Bataclan, killing at least two attackers. Neither official could be named, citing ongoing operations throughout the city.
According to the agency, one official described "carnage" inside the building, saying the attackers had tossed explosives at the hostages. Both officials said they expected the toll of victims to rise.
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Bataclan operation over - reports
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What we know so far
The news coming out of France is still, understandably, painting a fragmented and confusing picture. Here is what we know so far:
- A state of emergency has been declared across France, after several dozen people were killed in terrorist attacks around Paris. The number of casualties cannot yet be confirmed, though at least 49 people are so far thought to have died.
- Shootings took place in a number of locations around the capital, including at least two restaurants and the Bataclan concert hall, with further explosions – reported to be two suicide attacks and a bombing – outside the Stade de France, where the national side were playing Germany in a football match.
- About 100 people have reportedly been taken hostage at Bataclan in the 11th arrondissement, in what is thought to be a coordinated attack. Explosions have been heard at the concert hall, along with reports of mass shootings inside.
- French president François Hollande has ordered the closing of the country's borders to prevent the escape of the attackers, who have so far not been apprehended.
- Hollande said there were "unprecedented terror attacks under way in Paris" and authorities have warned residents to stay inside.
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Updated
Police storm the Bataclan - report
Updated
The AP: French police official confirms two suicide attacks and one bombing near the Stade de France, to the north of Paris.
The police union official, Gregory Goupil of the Alliance Police Nationale, whose region includes the area of the stadium, said there were at least three dead in the attacks, which took place near two of the entrances and a McDonalds restaurant.
He said the explosions went off simultaneously. He did not provide more details.
Reuters, citing police sources, is reporting that at least 40 people were killed in the attacks across the city, while 60 others were wounded. Reports differ, with some saying the death toll is greater. The French president said that "dozens" had been killed. We are working to confirm the reports.
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Jessica Reed writes:
At the Bataclan, France Inter journalist Antoine Giniaux says there might be around 60 hostages - a lot of explosions have been heard from inside the building over the last 20 minutes. Passersby are still held in the street by the police and have nowhere to go.
Updated
From Jessica Reed:
Witnesses of the deadly attacks at the Bataclan are in tears on the radio. A man who was near Rue de Charonne said the scene was absolutely catastrophic. "I worked in hospitals, I studied medicine, and I've never seen anything like it. Me and son ran back to get some help, and literally ran into a number of bodies. It was a carnage. People were lying dead on the floor, badly hurt and screaming. I'll never forget it."
At the Bataclan, a popular and renowned concert venue, there hasn't been any movement outside the building as of 11:45pm local time. Julian Peace, a Europe 1 journalist, who was inside when the attack happened, says two to three people, not wearing face masks, opened fire on the crowd with kalashnivoks. He says it lasted 10 to 15 minutes - so long that the assailants had the time to reload their weapons two or three times. The journalist was wounded.
At the Bataclan, France Inter journalist Antoine Giniaux says there
might be around 60 hostages - a lot of explosions have been heard from
inside the building over the last 20 minutes. Passersby are still held
in the street by the police and have nowhere to go."
My colleague Dan Roberts reports from Washington DC, where Barack Obama has delivered a statement:
Obama spoke of American solidarity with France and pledged to do what ever was necessary to pursue those responsible.
"Once again we have seem an outrageous attempt at terrorising innocent citizens," said the president in a statement from the White House briefing room. "This is an attack not just on Paris and the people of France, but on all of humanity and the universal values that we share."
The attack came swiftly after a series of breakthroughs against Islamic extremists in Syria and Iraq, but Obama refused to speculate on the causes of the attack.
"We stand prepared and ready to provide whatever assistance to the government and people of France need to respond," he said, pledging to "do whatever it takes to bring these terrorists to justice and go after any terrorist networks that go after our people".
"The bonds of liberté, égalité and fraternité are not only values that French people care so deeply about but they are values that we all share," added a sombre Obama. "And they are going to endure far beyond any act of terrorism or the hateful vision of those who carried out the attacks this evening."
Updated
President Obama has spoken, condemning the attacks in Paris, calling them an "outrageous attempt to terrorize innocent civilians."
He says this is "not just an attack on the people of france, but this is an attack on all of humanity and the universal values we share."
He says the US stands prepared and ready to provide whatever assistance France needs to respond, but did not want to speculate on who may be behind the attacks.
"France is our oldest ally" and has stood shoulder to shoulder with us time and again. Those who think they can terrorize France or their values are wrong," he said.
"Liberté, égalité and fraternité are values that we share, and they are going to endure far beyond any act of terrorism."
"We don't yet know all details of what has happened we have been in contact with French government."
"We know what it's like, we've gone through situations like this. Whenever these kinds of attacks happen, we've always been able to rely on France."
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My colleague Jessica Reed reports:
Parisians who live in the neighbourhoods that were under attack tonight have to make their way home. A few are staying put in front of the Bataclan, where they're held about 400 metres away by police, while others are now leaving.
A hashtag, #portouverte (Open Door), is being used by Parisians who are offering their hospitality for those who might not be able to take the subway or do not want to.
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Journalist Thibau Lefevre just told radio station France Inter that a policeman talking in his walkie talkie said they were looking for suspects near Parmentier and République.
Both of these areas are between the sites of the two attacks in the city – the former to the west and the latter to the east. That whole part of the city is popular with people out on nights out.
Another witness, who was at the Batalclan with his mother, is currently in tears live on the radio station. He says he heard the assailants were screaming "Allahu Akbar" while shooting inside the crowd.
Updated
Reuters reports that US security officials believe the attacks were probably coordinated, based on initial reports. It cited an anonymous source familiar with developing intelligence assessments. "This clearly looks like a coordinated series of attacks," the person said.
Updated
There is some video of fans at the Stade de France on the pitch.
The tweet reads: "helicopter, pitch invaded, surreal scenes."
— Vincent Menichini (@v_menichini) November 13, 2015
Hélicoptère, pelouse envahie, scènes surréalistes. http://pic.twitter.com/PT5HXyKbDK
Death toll rises
The death toll is rising, although reports differ.
According to the Associated Press, a police official said 11 people were killed in a Paris restaurant in the 10th arrondissement and about 35 were killed at the Bataclan theatre, where a hostage-taking is under way. Police said 100 hostages were being held.
Citing French police, AFP reports that three people were also killed in an explosion outside the Stade de France.
The Guardian has been unable to verify any of these accounts independently.
Updated
This image, tweeted on Friday evening, purports to show bodies near the Bataclan, where Eagles of Death Metal were playing.
"Bedsheets were thrown from the windows to cover them," the tweet reads.
— Sylvain BOHRER (@sylvainbohrer) November 13, 2015
Des corps étendus au 10 rue Charonne. Des draps sont jetés par les fenêtres pr couvrir les corps #fusillade #Paris http://pic.twitter.com/0GeQ1SNfij
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Confirmed locations of where the shootouts in the 10th and 11th arrondissements and where the series of explosions outside the Stade de France occurred.
Updated
Witness Ben Grant said he was in a bar with his wife when the gunshots were fired and he saw six or seven bodies on the ground. He told the BBC: "I was told people in cars had opened fire on the bar.
"There are lots of dead people. It's pretty horrific to be honest. I was at the back of the bar. I couldn't see anything. I heard gunshots. People dropped to the ground. We put a table over our heads to protect us.
"We were held up in the bar because there was a pile of bodies in front of us."
Updated
My colleague Angelique Chrisafis reports from the French capital:
Paris has been hit by a series of explosions and shootings tonight, killing at least 18 people.
Police officials confirmed that there had been a shootout at a Paris restaurant in the 10th arrondissement amid busy Friday night bars and cafés. Then another shootout took place near the Bataclan concert venue in the nearby 11th arrondissment. Hostages have been taken at the Bataclan, police confirmed to AFP.
At around the same time, there was a series of explosions outside the Stade de France, north of Paris, during a France-Germany friendly football match. The French president François Hollande was at the match and was evacuated from the stadium to the French interior ministry for a crisis meeting.
A police official confirmed to Associated Press that there had been one explosion in a bar near the stadium.
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