BBC
The near-simultaneous attacks in Paris that killed at least 128 people were an "act of war" organised by the Islamic State (IS) militant group, French President Francois Hollande says.
He said the attacks, carried out by eight gunmen and suicide bombers, were "organised and planned from outside".
The targets included bars, restaurants, a concert and a high-profile football match. IS claimed the attacks.
Mr Hollande has declared three days of national mourning.
He raised the security threat level to its highest point and imposed a nationwide state of emergency. Hospital officials now put the number of injured at 300. Eighty are in a critical condition.
These are the deadliest attacks in peacetime France, and only the fourth time since WW2 that a state of emergency has been imposed. The last time was during a 2005 wave of riots in poor suburbs.
It is the worst atrocity in Europe since the 2004 Madrid bombings.
The near-simultaneous attacks in Paris that killed at least 128 people were an "act of war" organised by the Islamic State (IS) militant group, French President Francois Hollande says.
He said the attacks, carried out by eight gunmen and suicide bombers, were "organised and planned from outside".
The targets included bars, restaurants, a concert and a high-profile football match. IS claimed the attacks.
Mr Hollande has declared three days of national mourning.
He raised the security threat level to its highest point and imposed a nationwide state of emergency. Hospital officials now put the number of injured at 300. Eighty are in a critical condition.
These are the deadliest attacks in peacetime France, and only the fourth time since WW2 that a state of emergency has been imposed. The last time was during a 2005 wave of riots in poor suburbs.
It is the worst atrocity in Europe since the 2004 Madrid bombings.
Telegraph
Paris terror attack: Syrian passport found on attacker was used to seek asylum in Greece as one Briton confirmed dead
David Cameron says Britain must be braced for casualties with France in lockdown after a series of coordinated terror attacks which killed 129 and injured 352 across Paris on Friday.
CNN
Paris massacre: At least 128 killed in gunfire and blasts, French officials say
Paris (CNN)On a night when thousands of Paris residents and tourists were reveling and fans were enjoying a soccer match between France and world champion Germany, horror struck in an unprecedented manner. Terrorists -- some with AK-47s, some reportedly with bombs strapped to them -- attacked sites throughout the French capital and at the stadium where the soccer match was underway.
Scores were killed in the coordinated attacks late Friday, leaving a nation in mourning and the world in shock.
• Paris Prosecutor spokeswoman Agnès Thibault-Lecuivre said eight extremists are dead after attacks. Seven of them were killed in suicide bombings.
• U.S. President Barack Obama spoke with French President Francois Hollande to offer condolences and assistance in the investigation, the White House said. Earlier, Obama said, "This is an attack not just on Paris, not just on the people on France, but an attack on all humanity and the universal values we share." He called the attacks an "outrageous attempt to terrorize innocent civilians."
• A total of six locations were attacked in and just outside the capital, Paris prosecutor François Molins told reporters Saturday.
• Five suspected attackers have been "neutralized," said Molins. It was unclear whether that term meant the terrorists were dead.
• A witness tells Radio France that attackers inside the Bataclan concert hall entered firing rifles and shouting "Allah akbar."
• At least 128 people were killed in the Paris and Saint-Denis shootings and bombings, French officials said. Saint-Denis is home to the national stadium where the soccer match was being played.
• The worst carnage occurred at Bataclan, with at least 80 left dead. A journalist who was at a rock concert there escaped and told CNN: "We lied down on the floor not to get hurt. It was a huge panic. The terrorists shot at us for 10 to 15 minutes. It was a bloodbath." Julien Pearce didn't hear the attackers speak, but he said one friend who escaped heard them talk about Iraq and Syria. Later, he said the men were speaking French. Two men dressed in black started shooting and after wounded people fell to the floor, the gunmen shot them again, execution-style, he said.
• CNN affiliate BFMTV, citing French officials, said some gunmen were still at large.
• Charlotte Brehaut and a friend were dining in Le Petit Cambodge, a Cambodian restaurant, when the shooting started from the street, she told CNN. "All of a sudden we heard huge gunshots and glass coming through the windows. We ducked with the other diners," she said. She grabbed the arm of a woman on the floor. The woman didn't respond. The woman was shot in the chest and there was blood all around her. At least 14 people were killed in Le Petit Cambodge, authorities said.
• Four attackers were killed, including three who were wearing explosives belts, at Bataclan during the police raid, Paris police spokesman Michel Cadot told France Info radio.
• There is great alarm over the apparent methodology and likely planning that would have been needed to pull off such a series of attacks, one U.S. counterterrorism official told CNN. The attacks resembled tactics that have been used by a number of terror groups -- including al Qaeda's focus on mass casualties and visibility, and the small, tactical nature of attacks that are more the hallmark of ISIS and its acolytes. It is still not clear who is responsible.
• U.S. citizens in Paris who are safe are being asked by the State Department to call their families. Those Americans in France needing assistance should call 001-202-501-4444. Americans concerned about loved ones in Paris should call 1-888-407-4747. An official told CNN the hotline was flooded with calls.
• Michael Dorio, brother of a member of the band that was playing at the Bataclan concert, said he spoke to Eagles of Death Metal drummer Julian Dorio about 20-30 minutes after the attack. "He said he had been performing and heard the gunshots. They stopped playing and hit the deck and went backstage and exited," Michael Dorio told CNN.
• BFMTV reports that SWAT units stormed Bataclan and that the siege was over. Two attackers were killed, a police union said. Police brought out at least 100 hostages from the concert hall, a CNN producer said; some appear to be wounded. Hollande told reporters outside Bataclan that "terrorists capable of carrying out such atrocities must know that they will face a France that is determined and united."
Au 90 rue de Charonne, un 7ème corps ... pic.twitter.com/PGFh63cwTj
— Tommy Pouilly (@5h55) November 13, 2015
• Deputy Mayor Patrick Klugman told CNN the death toll is going to rise significantly. "We are facing an unknown and historic situation in Paris," he said.
• Hollande called the events "unprecedented terrorist attacks" and added, "This is a horror." In a tweet, he said, "Faced with terror, this is a nation that knows how to defend itself, how to mobilize its forces and once again, knows how to overcome the terrorists."
• One of the explosions at the Stade de France, home of the French national sports teams, outside Paris appears to be a suicide bombing, a Western intelligence source receiving direct intelligence from the scene told CNN's Deb Feyerick. A dismembered body, consistent with the aftermath of an explosion from that type of device, was found at the scene, the source said. Watch: Explosion heard at Paris soccer game
• People were inviting people off the streets into their apartments, reports Philip Crowther, Washington correspondent for France 24.
• Traffic on several subway lines has been interrupted following the attacks, the Paris police prefecture reported.
Peace for Paris pic.twitter.com/ryf6XB2d80
— jean jullien (@jean_jullien) November 13, 2015
• There is no credible or specific threat in the United States, according to a U.S. government official. An FBI spokesperson said the agency and the Department of Homeland Security were closely monitoring the unfolding events.
• Hollande, in an address to the nation, said he had declared a state of emergency, meaning border security will be ramped up. "We have to show compassion and solidarity and we also have to show unity and keep our cool. France must be strong and great," he said.
• The Paris prefecture of police instructed residents to stay home. The prefecture said via Twitter that people should stay inside "unless there's an absolute necessity."
• French authorities have launched a terrorism investigation, Eric Pelletier, a reporter with Le Pariesien, tells CNN Paul Cruickshank. There has been no official claim of responsibility, though ISIS has applauded the attacks on Twitter, Cruickshank reports.
• Russian leader Vladimir Putin sent his condolences to Hollande and the people of France. "Russia strongly condemns this inhumane killing and is ready to provide any and all assistance to investigate these terrorist crimes," he said.
• Three explosions took place at the Stade de France, CNN affiliate BFMTV said.
• Counterterrorism officials around the United States convened secure conference calls to try to gather information, according to two U.S. counterterrorism officials. Immediate suspicion for the events in Paris falls to so-called returnees -- people who have traveled to Syria and Iraq and have returned, the officials said.
In early January of this year, two gunmen attacked the Paris offices of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, killing 12 and wounding 11.
Said and Cherif Kouachi wanted to punish the magazine for the publication of cartoons that they believed mocked the Prophet Mohammed. The Kouachi brothers two days later were shot and killed in a standoff with police in Dammartin-en-Goele.
Amedy Coulibaly, an associate of Said and Cherif Kouachi, attacked a Jewish grocery store in Paris, taking more than a dozen people hostage and killing four. Coulibaly had killed a policewoman the day before, on January 8. Coulibaly was killed when police stormed the kosher market.
USA Today
PARIS — Terrorists on a murderous rampage killed scores of people in multiple attacks in the French capital Friday night, including at least 100 held hostage at a concert hall before police swept in.
Explosions and gunfire erupted as the heavily armed security forces poured into the theater where a California rock group was playing. One police official described "carnage" inside the building, saying the attackers tossed explosives at the hostages, then blew themselves up with suicide belts as police closed in, the Associated Press reported. It was unclear how many hostages were rescued.
Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre, a spokeswoman for the Paris prosecutor's office said early Saturday that eight terrorists died in the attacks, seven of them in suicide bombings, according to AP. The eighth was killed by security forces in the attempt to rescue the hostages at the concert hall. Overall, at least 120 people were killed in the attacks at six sites across the city, Thibault-Lecuivre said.
She also said it is possible that terrorists tied to the attacks remain at large.
In addition to the scores of people killed at the concert venue, at least 11 died in a Paris restaurant in the 10th arrondissement and at least three died when bombs went off outside a stadium, police said.
It was the deadliest violence Paris has seen since World War II. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks. SITE Intelligence Group, a U.S. organization that monitors extremist websites, said jihadists were celebrating the attacks on social media.
French President Hollande declared a state of emergency and took the unprecedented step of closing all borders late Friday after gunmen opened fire at multiple locations. Explosives were set off at the Stade de France, the national stadium, where Germany and France were holding a friendly soccer match with Hollande in attendance before he was whisked away. At least one of the explosions at the stadium was believed to have been caused by a suicide bomber.
USA TODAY
The Paris terror attacks: What we know now
The attacks come just 11 months after 16 were killed in twin attacks at the Paris offices of the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo and a kosher grocery store outside the city.
"Once again we are under attack," Hollande said, adding the French military was being deployed across the city. A curfew was in place in Paris for the first time since WWII.
"The terrorists want to scare us and instill fear," he said. "There are reasons to be afraid, but the nation knows how to defend itself and mobilize its forces and how to defeat the terrorists."
Parisians launched the hashtag #PorteOuverte, which translates to #OpenDoor, on Twitter to offer shelter and safety to those stranded in the city. French media reported that taxi drivers were turning off their meters and driving people home — or to safety — for free.
Facebook encouraged Paris-based users to "check in" with its Safety Check feature, which lets their Facebook friends know if they are in the area and safe.
USA TODAY
Paris turns to #PorteOuverte to seek, offer shelter
People react in front of the Carillon cafe and the Petit Cambodge restaurant in Paris on Nov. 14, 2015, a day after over 120 people were killed in a series of shooting and explosions. Jerome Delay, AP
In Washington, President Obama called the assaults an "attack on all humanity and the universal values we all share." He added it was a "heartbreaking situation" and said he did not want to speculate about who may be responsible for the tragedy.
Police in major cities across the USA stepped up security Friday ahead of a weekend packed with sports events. Officials in New York, Chicago and Philadelphia said they had received no intelligence indicating any threats, but were stepping up patrols and taking other security precautions.
USA TODAY
U.S. cities step up security in wake of Paris attacks
U.S. passengers bound for Paris were in limbo as airlines canceled flights in light of France closing its borders. "It's truly chaos," said Henry Harteveldt, founder of Atmosphere Research Group, a travel industry research company. "The airlines are waiting for clarification from the government."
USA TODAY
U.S. passengers bound for Paris in limbo
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said the U.S. embassy in Paris was "making every effort to account for the welfare of American citizens in the city."
Witnesses said the attacker at the Bataclan concert hall, where the California rock group Eagles of Death Metal was playing at the time, shouted "Allahu akbar" (God is great) and fired into the crowd.
"At first I didn't understand what was going on — there were so many gunshots and debris flying at my head," said Pierre Marie Bertin, 36, who was at the theater when the shooting began. "You get down. You find yourself between dead bodies."
USA TODAY
U.S. band Eagles of Death Metal was headliner at Paris concert hall under siege
He said there were as many as four gunmen. At one point, he said, some male hostages "went onto the balcony and tried to negotiate for the life of their wives with one of the guys. It was sickening."
The initial shootings occurred outside the restaurant Le Petit Cambodia and the bar Le Carillon.
Philippe Caupain, a California resident who owns a business in Rancho Mirage, Calif., waited anxiously last night for news on the fate of his niece, who was shot twice.
His 31-year-old niece Amandeen Andretto, who works in Paris, had gone to the Bataclan theatre to attend the concert. Soon after they arrived, terrorists began shooting and throwing explosives, taking more than 100 people hostage in the theater.
"When this happened, her parents tried to call her, but there was no answer," Caupain said.
Four hours after news of the attacks reached the U.S., Caupain said he received a call from his family to tell him that Andretto had been shot twice — once in the arm and once in the leg. But she was going to be OK.
Andretto is in the hospital right now, Caupain said, and while the news of her being shot horrifies him, he's grateful that she survived the attack.
"On one end, we were very concerned, but when we found out that on the other hand she's alive, that was good news," he said. "It's a bad situation."
Caupain said there's no news on Andretto's boyfriend at this point, and no way of finding out.
"We hope to learn more in the morning," he said. "It's a chaotic situation over there."
Fox News
More than 120 people have been killed and more than 350 wounded in a series of coordinated terror attacks in Paris.
The attacks prompted French President Francois Hollande to order a state of emergency and the closure of the entire nation's borders.
Hollande on Saturday called the attacks an “act of war” and blamed the Islamic State.
ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks on an encrypted messaging account, calling them "the first of the storm" and mocking France as a “capital of prostitution and obscenity.”
A Syrian passport was found on the body of a suicide bomber at the Paris stadium.
French authorities are investigating the attacks and urging any witnesses to come forward.
UPDATE 11:16p ET: Shepard Smith reported that eight attackers were killed, four at the Bataclan concert hall, one on the boulevard outside and three at the soccer stadium, according to new reports.
Shep reported that seven of the eight militants were killed when they detonated suicide vests. The other one was shot by police.
UPDATE 10:32p ET: New reports indicate that more than 200 people are injured, 80 seriously.
UPDATE 9:52p ET: French police have said that they believe all the attackers are dead. They are currently hunting for possible terror accomplices, according to reports.
UPDATE 9:12p ET: The six confirmed locations that were attacked are the Bataclan concert hall, Stade de France stadium, Les Halles shopping mall, La Bell Equipe restaurant, a bar on Rue De Charonne and Le Petit Cambodge restaurant.
UPDATE 8:58p ET: A powerful video posted to Facebook by user Karl Olive shows soccer fans singing the French national anthem, La Marseillaise, as they filed out of the Paris stadium where a terror attack had just occurred.
UPDATE 8:34p ET: Shepard Smith reported that French authorities say that five attackers are dead.
He said that authorities have also confirmed that there were six coordinated attacks across the city.
UPDATE 8:13p ET: Sky News is now reporting that 158 people have been killed.
UPDATE 8:03p ET: Shepard Smith played video of the aftermath of a terror attack at a Paris shopping center, which was posted to social media.
The strike on Forum Des Halles was one of seven coordinated attacks.
At the stadium, an announcer told fans over the loudspeaker to avoid certain exits "due to events outside," without elaborating. The announcement at first prompted some panic, but then the crowds just walked dazed, hugging each other and looking at their phones for the latest news of the violence.
Many appeared hesitant to leave amid the uncertainty after France's deadliest attacks in decades.
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