This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2015/nov/18/paris-attacks-police-hunt-ninth-suspect-as-germany-on-alert-after-hanover-bomb-threat-live

The article has changed 22 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 18 Version 19
French police conduct raid in hunt for terror suspects – as it happened French police conduct raid in hunt for terror suspects – as it happened
(6 days later)
2.07pm GMT2.07pm GMT
14:0714:07
Thank you for following our continuing coverage of the aftermath to the Paris attacks. Our latest live updates can be found here.Thank you for following our continuing coverage of the aftermath to the Paris attacks. Our latest live updates can be found here.
1.39pm GMT1.39pm GMT
13:3913:39
What we know so farWhat we know so far
Raid on St-DenisRaid on St-Denis
Two people have been killedTwo people have been killed
Seven people have been arrestedSeven people have been arrested
How the raid unfoldedHow the raid unfolded
Paris mourns attack victimsParis mourns attack victims
France will remain a country of movement.France will remain a country of movement.
German investigations continueGerman investigations continue
Airstrikes in SyriaAirstrikes in Syria
UpdatedUpdated
at 1.52pm GMTat 1.52pm GMT
1.17pm GMT1.17pm GMT
13:1713:17
Jason BurkeJason Burke
The Guardian’s Jason Burke, an expert on terrorism and Isis, has been writing about the use of female suicide bombers, after police confirmed one death in the St-Denis apartment this morning was a woman who blew herself up.The Guardian’s Jason Burke, an expert on terrorism and Isis, has been writing about the use of female suicide bombers, after police confirmed one death in the St-Denis apartment this morning was a woman who blew herself up.
The advantage of using female suicide bombers for an organisation can be simply tactical – they can avoid suspicion more easily, or can pose as a one half of a couple – or strategic.The advantage of using female suicide bombers for an organisation can be simply tactical – they can avoid suspicion more easily, or can pose as a one half of a couple – or strategic.
Terrorists aim to spin out media coverage as long as possible. They know now that after the initial attack will come a hunt, and then, probably, a last stand.Terrorists aim to spin out media coverage as long as possible. They know now that after the initial attack will come a hunt, and then, probably, a last stand.
Their aim all along is to shock, awe, terrorise, and to attract as much attention as possible. Using women is one very effective way of achieving all these objectives.Their aim all along is to shock, awe, terrorise, and to attract as much attention as possible. Using women is one very effective way of achieving all these objectives.
Read the full piece here:Read the full piece here:
Related: St-Denis female suicide bomber is not the first, and will not be the lastRelated: St-Denis female suicide bomber is not the first, and will not be the last
UpdatedUpdated
at 1.24pm GMTat 1.24pm GMT
12.53pm GMT12.53pm GMT
12:5312:53
François Hollande has reaffirmed that “France is at war” in a speech before a gathering of the country’s mayors in Paris.He defended the “temporary resctrictions on freedom” but said it was vital they were eventually restored, adding: “France will remain a country of movement.”François Hollande has reaffirmed that “France is at war” in a speech before a gathering of the country’s mayors in Paris.He defended the “temporary resctrictions on freedom” but said it was vital they were eventually restored, adding: “France will remain a country of movement.”
He also rejected suggestions of a link between the refugee crisis and Friday’s attacks, announcing that France will accept 30,000 refugees in the next two years.He also rejected suggestions of a link between the refugee crisis and Friday’s attacks, announcing that France will accept 30,000 refugees in the next two years.
Some people have tried to draw a connection between the movement of refugees from the Middle East and the terrorist threat.Some people have tried to draw a connection between the movement of refugees from the Middle East and the terrorist threat.
This link exists because people from Iraq and Syria live in areas controlled by Islamic State and are killed by those who attack us.This link exists because people from Iraq and Syria live in areas controlled by Islamic State and are killed by those who attack us.
He also sought the support of the cities’ mayors, particularly in the deployment of thousands more security forces in France’s communes.He also sought the support of the cities’ mayors, particularly in the deployment of thousands more security forces in France’s communes.
He suggested that local authorities could be given more powers to stop people and vehicles accessing certain areas.Referring to this morning’s police raids, Hollande said:He suggested that local authorities could be given more powers to stop people and vehicles accessing certain areas.Referring to this morning’s police raids, Hollande said:
These acts once more confirm that we are at war, at war with terrorism which itself has waged war with us.These acts once more confirm that we are at war, at war with terrorism which itself has waged war with us.
UpdatedUpdated
at 1.00pm GMTat 1.00pm GMT
12.49pm GMT12.49pm GMT
12:4912:49
My colleague Jon Henley reported from Paris earlier that police had been watching several buildings in the area since yesterday, because they suspected one woman in the apartment may be likely to shelter Abdel-Hamid Abu Oud, the man named as the mastermind of the French attacks by officials.My colleague Jon Henley reported from Paris earlier that police had been watching several buildings in the area since yesterday, because they suspected one woman in the apartment may be likely to shelter Abdel-Hamid Abu Oud, the man named as the mastermind of the French attacks by officials.
BMFTV now reports that she was his cousin, and that she was the woman who blew herself up. We do not have confirmation of this from French authorities yet, and prosecutors have said they have not yet formally identified the people killed and arrested inside the apartment.BMFTV now reports that she was his cousin, and that she was the woman who blew herself up. We do not have confirmation of this from French authorities yet, and prosecutors have said they have not yet formally identified the people killed and arrested inside the apartment.
UpdatedUpdated
at 1.01pm GMTat 1.01pm GMT
12.23pm GMT12.23pm GMT
12:2312:23
Journalists in St-Denis were reporting police activity at the church of St Denis-de-l’Estrée but it appears this may be a false alarm, according to Le Monde.Journalists in St-Denis were reporting police activity at the church of St Denis-de-l’Estrée but it appears this may be a false alarm, according to Le Monde.
Officers had broken down the door of the church but emerged empty handed 15 minutes later. We’ll try to establish more information about the purpose of the raid.Officers had broken down the door of the church but emerged empty handed 15 minutes later. We’ll try to establish more information about the purpose of the raid.
French police now raiding church near location on St. Denis raids #ParisAttacks pic.twitter.com/tofArQ7ao3French police now raiding church near location on St. Denis raids #ParisAttacks pic.twitter.com/tofArQ7ao3
Police entering the church at Saint Denis while destroying the door.#paris #saintdenis pic.twitter.com/P6hZbvoaRmPolice entering the church at Saint Denis while destroying the door.#paris #saintdenis pic.twitter.com/P6hZbvoaRm
UpdatedUpdated
at 12.46pm GMTat 12.46pm GMT
12.15pm GMT12.15pm GMT
12:1512:15
David Cameron has been speaking in the House of Commons at the weekly prime minister’s questions.David Cameron has been speaking in the House of Commons at the weekly prime minister’s questions.
He says he can update MPs on Paris. One British national was killed in the Bataclan theatre. Three Britons were injured but have been returned to the UK and another 15 are being treated for trauma.He says he can update MPs on Paris. One British national was killed in the Bataclan theatre. Three Britons were injured but have been returned to the UK and another 15 are being treated for trauma.
Follow my colleague Andrew Sparrow’s live blog for more:Follow my colleague Andrew Sparrow’s live blog for more:
Related: Cameron and Corbyn at PMQs - Politics liveRelated: Cameron and Corbyn at PMQs - Politics live
UpdatedUpdated
at 12.45pm GMTat 12.45pm GMT
12.00pm GMT12.00pm GMT
12:0012:00
Angela Merkel has defended the decision to cancel last night’s football match between Germany and the Netherlands because of security concerns.Angela Merkel has defended the decision to cancel last night’s football match between Germany and the Netherlands because of security concerns.
“I was just as sad as the millions of fans that the match was cancelled. But the security officials took a responsible decision,” the German chancellor told reporters.“I was just as sad as the millions of fans that the match was cancelled. But the security officials took a responsible decision,” the German chancellor told reporters.
“These are difficult decisions, perhaps the most difficult given the conflicting priorities of freedom and security. But yesterday it was right to decide based on security.”“These are difficult decisions, perhaps the most difficult given the conflicting priorities of freedom and security. But yesterday it was right to decide based on security.”
UpdatedUpdated
at 12.44pm GMTat 12.44pm GMT
11.59am GMT11.59am GMT
11:5911:59
Europe-wide investigations and Syria strikesEurope-wide investigations and Syria strikes
We’re focusing on the aftermath of the operation in St-Denis, but here is what else has been happening this morning:We’re focusing on the aftermath of the operation in St-Denis, but here is what else has been happening this morning:
Suspect on the runSuspect on the run
Austria’s interior ministry said Salah Abdeslam, the suspect sought in the Paris attacks investigation was on an EU-wide police list when he was stopped in Austria in September, and his presence in the country was reported to Belgian authorities.Austria’s interior ministry said Salah Abdeslam, the suspect sought in the Paris attacks investigation was on an EU-wide police list when he was stopped in Austria in September, and his presence in the country was reported to Belgian authorities.
Abdeslam was also briefly held and fined in February for possession of cannabis, Dutch police said Wednesday. He was allowed to continue on his way after paying a 70 euro fine, the police said.Abdeslam was also briefly held and fined in February for possession of cannabis, Dutch police said Wednesday. He was allowed to continue on his way after paying a 70 euro fine, the police said.
German investigations continueGerman investigations continue
The state premier of Lower Saxony defended the decision to cancel the friendly football match between Germany and the Netherlands, saying there was “concrete indication about a concrete danger based on confidential and secret information.”The state premier of Lower Saxony defended the decision to cancel the friendly football match between Germany and the Netherlands, saying there was “concrete indication about a concrete danger based on confidential and secret information.”
Earlier, the head of Germany’s BfV domestic intelligence agency Hans-Georg Maassen stressed that while Germany is an enemy of Islamic State, it should not cancel big public events in response to fears of an attack.Earlier, the head of Germany’s BfV domestic intelligence agency Hans-Georg Maassen stressed that while Germany is an enemy of Islamic State, it should not cancel big public events in response to fears of an attack.
If IS can hit us, if IS can carry out terror attacks in Germany, it will do so - that is our big concern.If IS can hit us, if IS can carry out terror attacks in Germany, it will do so - that is our big concern.
After the stadium was evacuated, officials said no arrests were made and no explosives found. Later, police in Hanover removed a suspicious package on a train way on its way to southern Germany before giving the all clear.After the stadium was evacuated, officials said no arrests were made and no explosives found. Later, police in Hanover removed a suspicious package on a train way on its way to southern Germany before giving the all clear.
Airstrikes in SyriaAirstrikes in Syria
Air strikes carried out by French jets and other forces have killed at least 33 Islamic State militants in the group’s Raqqa stronghold in Syria over the past three days, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said on Wednesday.Air strikes carried out by French jets and other forces have killed at least 33 Islamic State militants in the group’s Raqqa stronghold in Syria over the past three days, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said on Wednesday.
The Observatory also said that Islamic State members and dozens of the families of senior members had started leaving Raqqa city to relocate to Mosul in Iraq because of security concerns.The Observatory also said that Islamic State members and dozens of the families of senior members had started leaving Raqqa city to relocate to Mosul in Iraq because of security concerns.
11.51am GMT11.51am GMT
11:5111:51
This is video of the interview we reported on earlier – Jawad Ben Dow says that he had been housing two men in his flat, who were the target of a police raid in St-Denis.This is video of the interview we reported on earlier – Jawad Ben Dow says that he had been housing two men in his flat, who were the target of a police raid in St-Denis.
UpdatedUpdated
at 12.43pm GMTat 12.43pm GMT
11.48am GMT11.48am GMT
11:4811:48
All 129 victims of the Paris attacks have now been identifiedAll 129 victims of the Paris attacks have now been identified
The French government says all 129 victims of the Paris attacks have now been identified.The French government says all 129 victims of the Paris attacks have now been identified.
About 100 families have now been able to collect their loved ones’ remains from the Institute of Forensics.About 100 families have now been able to collect their loved ones’ remains from the Institute of Forensics.
The Guardian has been collecting tributes and profiles to those killed in Friday’s horror, which you can read here.The Guardian has been collecting tributes and profiles to those killed in Friday’s horror, which you can read here.
Related: Paris attack victims: lives cut cruelly short during night of terrorRelated: Paris attack victims: lives cut cruelly short during night of terror
UpdatedUpdated
at 11.56am GMTat 11.56am GMT
11.45am GMT11.45am GMT
11:4511:45
Were you in the area? You can share your witness accounts, photos and videos or news tips direct with our journalists using Whatsapp on +447867825056, but please stay safe. Terms and conditions here.Were you in the area? You can share your witness accounts, photos and videos or news tips direct with our journalists using Whatsapp on +447867825056, but please stay safe. Terms and conditions here.
UpdatedUpdated
at 11.47am GMTat 11.47am GMT
11.44am GMT11.44am GMT
11:4411:44
UpdatedUpdated
at 11.48am GMTat 11.48am GMT
11.41am GMT11.41am GMT
11:4111:41
No confirmation that suspected mastermind was in St-Denis apartmentNo confirmation that suspected mastermind was in St-Denis apartment
The Paris prosecutor, Francois Molins, has told journalists it is still unclear whether the alleged mastermind of the Paris attacks, Abdel-Hamid Abu Oud, was in the apartment after the seven-hour police raid.The Paris prosecutor, Francois Molins, has told journalists it is still unclear whether the alleged mastermind of the Paris attacks, Abdel-Hamid Abu Oud, was in the apartment after the seven-hour police raid.
Molins says the police launched the raid after gathering information from tapped telephone conversations, surveillance and witness accounts.Molins says the police launched the raid after gathering information from tapped telephone conversations, surveillance and witness accounts.
Authorities are still working to determine who was inside, he said. Seven people were arrested and two suspects were killed.Authorities are still working to determine who was inside, he said. Seven people were arrested and two suspects were killed.
UpdatedUpdated
at 11.44am GMTat 11.44am GMT
11.37am GMT11.37am GMT
11:3711:37
Speaking from St-Denis, the French interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, gave details about the seven people who have been arrested, three inside the apartment, two who were hidden under rubble and two others – the landlord of the property and his friend.Speaking from St-Denis, the French interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, gave details about the seven people who have been arrested, three inside the apartment, two who were hidden under rubble and two others – the landlord of the property and his friend.
I would like to pay tribute to all those involved in the operation, 110 in total, who acted with bravery and under heavy fire in conditions that they had never experienced before.I would like to pay tribute to all those involved in the operation, 110 in total, who acted with bravery and under heavy fire in conditions that they had never experienced before.
I would also like to pay tribute to the cool-headedness of St Denis residents.I would also like to pay tribute to the cool-headedness of St Denis residents.
UpdatedUpdated
at 11.46am GMTat 11.46am GMT
11.25am GMT11.25am GMT
11:2511:25
Cazeneuve has also been speaking about Abdel-Hamid Abu Oud, believed to be the mastermind of the Paris attacks.Cazeneuve has also been speaking about Abdel-Hamid Abu Oud, believed to be the mastermind of the Paris attacks.
Intelligence that led police to the apartment in St-Denis “gave the impression that Abu Oud was likely to be there”, he said.Intelligence that led police to the apartment in St-Denis “gave the impression that Abu Oud was likely to be there”, he said.
UpdatedUpdated
at 11.27am GMTat 11.27am GMT
11.20am GMT11.20am GMT
11:2011:20
Cazeneuve has confirmed what we knew from police sources and statements from Paris prosecutors.Cazeneuve has confirmed what we knew from police sources and statements from Paris prosecutors.
Two people were killed in the apartment, a woman who blew herself up and a man hit by a grenade (previously reported to be a sniper).Two people were killed in the apartment, a woman who blew herself up and a man hit by a grenade (previously reported to be a sniper).
Seven people have been arrested – three inside the apartment, two others, as well as the landlord and his “friend”.Seven people have been arrested – three inside the apartment, two others, as well as the landlord and his “friend”.
UpdatedUpdated
at 11.47am GMTat 11.47am GMT
11.14am GMT11.14am GMT
11:1411:14
Cazeneuve says intelligence led French to believe Abdel-Hamid Abu Oud was in ParisCazeneuve says intelligence led French to believe Abdel-Hamid Abu Oud was in Paris
The French interior minister is speaking now in St-Denis. We’ll bring you more shortly.The French interior minister is speaking now in St-Denis. We’ll bring you more shortly.
11.08am GMT11.08am GMT
11:0811:08
French police have urged members of the public to avoid using social media, GPS or anything else that may give away the location of security forces and help those who are being searched for.French police have urged members of the public to avoid using social media, GPS or anything else that may give away the location of security forces and help those who are being searched for.
#EtatdUrgence Des contrôles ont lieu partout en France. Ne signalez pas la position des forces de l'ordre #Attentats pic.twitter.com/YstLLtMkLD#EtatdUrgence Des contrôles ont lieu partout en France. Ne signalez pas la position des forces de l'ordre #Attentats pic.twitter.com/YstLLtMkLD
UpdatedUpdated
at 11.18am GMTat 11.18am GMT
11.08am GMT11.08am GMT
11:0811:08
Summary: St-Denis raidSummary: St-Denis raid
The raid in St-Denis is now over. Here’s all the information we have so far.The raid in St-Denis is now over. Here’s all the information we have so far.
Details confirmed by French prosecutors and police sourcesDetails confirmed by French prosecutors and police sources
How the raid unfoldedHow the raid unfolded
What is reported but still unconfirmedWhat is reported but still unconfirmed
UpdatedUpdated
at 11.17am GMTat 11.17am GMT
10.51am GMT10.51am GMT
10:5110:51
St-Denis anti-terror operation is overSt-Denis anti-terror operation is over
Jon HenleyJon Henley
A French government spokesman has said the raid is now officially over, reports the Guardian’s Jon Henley from Paris.A French government spokesman has said the raid is now officially over, reports the Guardian’s Jon Henley from Paris.
French media say the anti-terror and Swat teams in the streets around the apartment are already giving way to detectives and forensic scientists, who will begin identifying and analysing the evidence inside.French media say the anti-terror and Swat teams in the streets around the apartment are already giving way to detectives and forensic scientists, who will begin identifying and analysing the evidence inside.
There is as yet no information about what has happened to the final person thought still to be in the apartment.There is as yet no information about what has happened to the final person thought still to be in the apartment.
Separately, police sources told BFMTV that police had placed a woman under surveillance “several days ago” who they suspected might be sheltering Abdel-Hamid Abu Oud, thought to be the mastermind behind the Paris attacks. He was previously thought to be in Syria.Separately, police sources told BFMTV that police had placed a woman under surveillance “several days ago” who they suspected might be sheltering Abdel-Hamid Abu Oud, thought to be the mastermind behind the Paris attacks. He was previously thought to be in Syria.
We do not yet know if this was the same woman who blew herself up at the apartment early this morning.We do not yet know if this was the same woman who blew herself up at the apartment early this morning.
UpdatedUpdated
at 10.57am GMTat 10.57am GMT
10.43am GMT10.43am GMT
10:4310:43
Police operations at the St-Denis apartment are over and the security services have moved in, AFP and other French media report.Police operations at the St-Denis apartment are over and the security services have moved in, AFP and other French media report.
UpdatedUpdated
at 10.51am GMTat 10.51am GMT
10.39am GMT10.39am GMT
10:3910:39
Police have escorted out children and others from the scene of the standoff, with paramedics on standby.Police have escorted out children and others from the scene of the standoff, with paramedics on standby.
UpdatedUpdated
at 10.50am GMTat 10.50am GMT
10.26am GMT10.26am GMT
10:2610:26
Angelique ChrisafisAngelique Chrisafis
Nabil Guerram, 36, who lived near the Basilica of St-Denis, said:Nabil Guerram, 36, who lived near the Basilica of St-Denis, said:
I was woken with a start at 4:20am by the sound of extremely heavy gunfire. My children were crying. There was non-stop fire for 20-25 mins, then calm, then it started up again for a very long time.I was woken with a start at 4:20am by the sound of extremely heavy gunfire. My children were crying. There was non-stop fire for 20-25 mins, then calm, then it started up again for a very long time.
Zaia Boughilas, local councillor for the Green party, had arrived at the town hall for an urgent meeting called by the mayor as the police operation was still under way.Zaia Boughilas, local councillor for the Green party, had arrived at the town hall for an urgent meeting called by the mayor as the police operation was still under way.
“There was already very strong emotion here after Friday.”“There was already very strong emotion here after Friday.”
She said the town of 106,000 people, which has a large working-class population, was diverse with its own share of “social distress” – such as unemployment – but that it was a vibrant “very welcoming, open place”.She said the town of 106,000 people, which has a large working-class population, was diverse with its own share of “social distress” – such as unemployment – but that it was a vibrant “very welcoming, open place”.
UpdatedUpdated
at 10.38am GMTat 10.38am GMT
10.24am GMT
10:24
Seven people now held by police after St-Denis raid
Police have now arrested seven people in St-Denis, the Paris suburb where the operation has been continuing this morning, according to Associated Press.
A senior police official and the Paris prosecutor’s office say that the seven were arrested in the building, though we only know of three who were actually in the apartment. They did not identify those detained.
Journalists on the scene reported a loud bang from the street minutes before the most recent arrests.
Updated
at 10.36am GMT
10.14am GMT
10:14
Two dead in Paris raid on St-Denis
Here’s the full news report from Jon Henley and Angelique Chrisafis in St-Denis on what we know so far about the raid.
At least two people have been killed during a major police operation targeting the alleged mastermind of Friday’s terror attacks in Paris, police and judicial sources have said.
Police sources said a man wanted in connection with the bloody series of suicide bombings and shootings was shot dead by a police sniper during the raid, while the Paris public prosecutor confirmed that a woman had blown herself up by detonating an explosive belt.
There were unconfirmed reports that there may be a third person inside the apartment building on the rue de Corbillon in St-Denis, a town just north of Paris, where police launched the operation at about 4.30am.
The Paris prosecutor, François Molins, also said three men who were inside the apartment had been arrested.
Related: At least two dead in operation targeting suspected Paris attacks mastermind
Updated
at 10.39am GMT
10.01am GMT
10:01
Police sources have told both Le Monde and Libération that a second suspect was killed in the assault on the St-Denis apartment, shot by a sniper.
Paris prosecutors have only so far confirmed one person dead in the apartment – a woman who blew herself up.
Updated
at 10.10am GMT
9.59am GMT
09:59
Police have confirmed that a seven-year-old belgian shepherd police dog called Diesel was killed in the raids in St-Denis this morning.
🔴 SAINT-DENIS Diesel, malinois de 7 ans, chienne d’assaut du RAID a été tuée par les terroristes dans l’opération en cours (@PNationale)
French media said the dog had been sent into the apartment where the fugitives were holed up to assess the level of danger before they stormed it.
Updated
at 10.07am GMT
9.40am GMT
09:40
Fifteen people, including women and children, have been evacuated from the St-Denis apartment building, and a counselling centre has been set up, Le Figaro reports.
Une cellule psychologique a été mise en place. Une quinzaine de personnes étaient ds l'immeuble, parmi lesquels des femmes et des enfants
Updated
at 9.41am GMT
9.29am GMT
09:29
The French president, François Hollande, is holding an emergency meeting at the Elysée palace with prime minister Manuel Valls, interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve, defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, foreign minister Laurent Fabius and justice minister Christiane Taubira.
Updated
at 10.13am GMT
9.25am GMT
09:25
Angelique Chrisafis
A young man who had come down to the police line near St-Denis’s grand town hall building said his father, aged 60, lives in a building very close to the raid:
He has barricaded himself into the bathroom. He’s panicked. He’s just waiting for orders from police.
Updated
at 9.35am GMT
9.15am GMT
09:15
It appears that the man who rented out the apartment is among those arrested by police during the raid this morning. The Paris prosecutor’s statement this morning noted that a man and a woman had been arrested nearby the address of the raid but not inside the apartment – that would appear to be this landlord and a female friend.
The man has been speaking to AFP – the news agency says he spoke to them “on condition of anonymity before being handcuffed and led away by police”.
A friend asked me to put up two of his friends for a few days. I said that there was no mattress, they told me ‘it’s not a problem’, they just wanted water and to pray.
I was asked to do a favour, I did a favour. I didn’t know they were terrorists.
AFP reports his female friend was also taken into custody. She told the news agency that she had slept in the apartment last week and the dwelling was “a kind of squat”.
The two visitors arrived “two days ago”, she said.
Updated
at 9.37am GMT
9.11am GMT
09:11
French police have tweeted that the raid in St-Denis is ongoing and that five officers have suffered slight injuries.
[INFO] #SaintDenis Opération #RAID en cours À cette heure, 5 policiers du #RAID sont légèrement blessés.
Updated
at 9.16am GMT
9.01am GMT
09:01
St-Denis raid - the latest
Here is what we know about the raid in St-Denis from the last hour.
French prosecutors confirm:
Here is what is also known:
What is reported but still unconfirmed
Updated
at 9.17am GMT
8.51am GMT
08:51
BFMTV claims to have spoken to the man who rented his flat to the suspects in St-Denis.
The man, who lives at 8 rue Corbillon, told the French broadcaster that two people from Belgium had rented the property.
A friend asked me to let the flat to two friends for a few days. They told me they wanted to rent it so I did. I had absolutely no idea they were terrorists.
Updated
at 9.16am GMT
8.47am GMT
08:47
'Terrorism has come to St-Denis, the mood has changed and it will stay that way'
Angelique Chrisafis
Our Paris correspondent, Angelique Chrisafis, has been speaking to locals in St-Denis.
As the assault was still under way, Fatima Bourahli, 26, was standing in the street with a coat on over her pyjamas looking over at the police line, while soldiers in camouflage crouched with automatic weapons on corners.
“I live not far from the stadium and we’d already heard the explosions of the two attacks on Friday night.
“My daughter is six and she’s scared and confused. The schools here are shut today, children are staying home.
“People are really scared and pretty tense. The government says we’re at war.”
Didi Wafae, 63, who lives a few streets away from the raid said: “I heard shots just after 4am, we didn’t know what was happening, we thought it was all starting up again. People are really scared”
Djamila Khaldi, a cleaner, 54, lives near the famous Saint-Denis Basilica which draws vast numbers of tourists each year and is not far from the street targeted in the raid at the heart of the town’s historic centre.
“I was up before 4am because I had to drive my daughter to the airport. I heard the shots and I just thought, there must be some kind of stand-off, terrorists must be hiding here. Already since Friday’s attacks there was a heavy atmosphere here.
“People had been asking how the attackers did it, whether any of them were still here. When the police “wanted” photo [of Salah Abdeslam] came up on television, people were asking themselves if it was a face they knew, some were convinced they’d seen him here at some point. There was a lot of fear.
“I thought there was probably a link between drug dealers and the attackers. What can you say?
“Terrorism has come to St-Denis, the mood has changed and it will stay that way. People are distrustful, looking at each other. St-Denis will be labelled for this now. It’s a real shame.”
Updated
at 9.14am GMT
8.41am GMT
08:41
French media are reporting that this morning’s raids in St-Denis took place on a small side street called Rue du Corbillon. The address suggests suspects were holed up in an apartment, several floors above a primary school.
Assaut de Saint-Denis : les terroristes étaient hébergés chez un homme dans un appartement 8 rue du Corbillon 1/2
Quelques étages plus bas, là où l'assaut a été donné, une école et 326 élèves. 2/2 pic.twitter.com/R2IQqqYo0k
Updated
at 9.17am GMT
8.38am GMT
08:38
Updated
at 9.17am GMT
8.35am GMT
08:35
There are reports from both AP and French media that one man is still in a standoff with police at the apartment. His identity is unknown.
Residents of St-Denis are still being told to stay inside by Paris officials.
"Je redis aux habitants de #SaintDenis de ne pas sortir de chez eux" @StephanTroussel #E1matin https://t.co/PLfTDliqnQ
Updated
at 9.18am GMT
8.27am GMT
08:27
The prosecutors’ statement this morning also carries an update on the investigation in to Bataclan suicide bombers Omar Ismail Mostefai and Sami Amimour. Family members of the pair who had been arrested are now released without charge.
8.14am GMT
08:14
Woman blew herself up in St-Denis apartment raid - prosecutor
The Paris prosecutor’s office has released a statement about the raids this morning saying that five people have been arrested as a result of the police raid in St-Denis:
Le parquet de Paris confirme la mort d'une femme kamikaze lors de l'assaut du RAID à St-Denis. pic.twitter.com/QTiYRcKyGO
Updated
at 9.19am GMT
8.04am GMT
08:04
A woman who lives next door to the house that was raided in St-Denis in the early hours has spoken to French broadcaster BMFTV.
Sabrine, who lives beneath the property with her son, said:
I awoke to an explosion. After that I heard gun shots and there was lots of shooting. The terrorists were fighting at the police and the police were firing back.
There were shots, explosions. We didn’t know where to go. My son and I were in panic. There was dust falling from the ceiling because of the explosions. I kept shouting, ‘If you’re from the police, please help me. I’m here with my baby.’
But they kept shooting and shooting.
Updated
at 10.08am GMT
8.03am GMT
08:03
Here’s the location of the raid on St-Denis, showing how close it is to the Stade de France.
Updated
at 8.09am GMT
7.58am GMT
07:58
Our Paris correspondent, Angelique Chrisafis, is in St-Denis, where she reports there have been no shots or explosions heard for an hour.
#SaintDenis rue Gabriel Peri: riot police, soldiers in camouflage poised on corners, fire trucks, bewildered locals
#SaintDenis one woman woken by the gunfire this morning: 'people are afraid, it's more than we can take'
#SaintDenis last explosion one hour ago, elite squads in the street but no shots since
#SaintDenis calm, quiet, area locked down, fire crews & medical teams waiting on the street where raid took place
Updated
at 9.19am GMT
7.53am GMT
07:53
Jessica Elgot
We’re following events now from London, focused on the police operations in St-Denis, as well as the other ongoing investigations in France, Belgium and Germany.
Aside from the raid in St-Denis, here’s what has happened in the past few hours:
Air France cancellations
Those flights were:
Hanover
More on Hanover here.
Paris investigation
Updated
at 8.56am GMT
7.43am GMT
07:43
Summary: the St-Denis raid
Claire Phipps
The police operation in St-Denis, north of Paris city centre, appears to be quietening down, with multiple reports saying suspects have been killed or arrested.
But it is not yet clear if the operation has concluded, with some reports citing police sources that another suspect remains holed up inside an apartment building.
French media reports, but the Guardian cannot yet independently confirm:
Here is what is known:
I’m now handing over this live blog to my colleague Jessica Elgot in London, who will bring you a summary of the other news of the last few hours, including those Paris-bound Air France flights that were diverted in the US after what looks increasingly like a false alarm.
Thanks for reading.
Updated
at 7.54am GMT
7.24am GMT
07:24
Two suspects dead, including a woman, in raid
Associated Press confirms French police saying two suspects are dead, including a woman, during the raid.
Separate reports are saying that the third person who has apparently died was a bystander. This has not been confirmed.
7.14am GMT
07:14
Agence France-Presse now reports two people arrested in the St-Denis raid.
The information from Paris now is coming thick and fast, and it is advisable to treat numbers of dead, injured and arrested as provisional until this can be properly confirmed.
7.10am GMT
07:10
French national police have just put out this reminder that the operation is ongoing:
[INFO] Opération #RAID toujours en cours merci de respecter les consignes
7.07am GMT
07:07
Le Monde and other French media say they have confirmation from police and judicial sources that three of the people targeted in the police operation are dead, including a woman who blew herself up with an explosive belt.
The Guardian has not yet been able to verify this independently.
I will bring you further information as we check it.
Updated
at 7.08am GMT
6.58am GMT
06:58
St-Denis raid: what we know so far
The police operation in St-Denis is ongoing, but here is what we currently know:
Updated
at 7.02am GMT
6.46am GMT
06:46
Three heavy trucks carrying around 100 French troops have arrived in St-Denis to secure the perimeter of the operation, as they did outside the Bataclan concert hall on Friday night.
Heavily armed police have taken over the centre of the town.
At least seven explosions have been heard at the scene, but the source of the blasts is unclear.
Updated
at 7.02am GMT
6.43am GMT
06:43
Associated Press has spoken to residents of St-Denis who are witnessing the siege.
One resident described intense gunfire and explosions during a police operation near the site of one of last week’s deadly attacks.
Baptiste Marie, a 26-year-old independent journalist who lives near the scene of the standoff, told AP:
It started with an explosion. Then there was second big explosion. Then two more explosions. There was an hour of gunfire.
Resident Amin Guizani, 21, said:
There were grenades. It was going, stopping. Kalashnikovs. Starting again.
Updated
at 6.51am GMT
6.37am GMT
06:37
It is now just after 7.30am in Paris, meaning the siege in St-Denis has been going on for over three hours.
There are reports of one person dead, and three police officers injured, though apparently not seriously.
Several explosions have been heard in the last few minutes.
At least three military trucks are now on the scene in the centre of St-Denis.
Updated
at 6.51am GMT
6.33am GMT
06:33
Jon Henley
BFMTV and other French media have reported that at least one person has been killed in the police assault. His identity is not yet known.
The inhabitants of St-Denis have been ordered to remain inside their homes, behind locked doors, and to stay away from the windows.
6.28am GMT
06:28
We are hearing explosions live via CNN – at least four so far – from the scene at St-Denis.
Updated
at 6.28am GMT
6.26am GMT
06:26
St-Denis raid: what we know so far
The police operation in St-Denis is ongoing, but here is what we currently know:
Updated
at 6.51am GMT
6.22am GMT
06:22
Military reinforcements have arrived in St-Denis.
A reminder that the police siege of an apartment thought to contain the man named as the mastermind of the Paris attacks, Abdel-Hamid Abu Oud; as well as Salah Abdeslam and another suspect thought to be a ninth attacker, is taking place just 2km from the Stade de France, one of Friday night’s suicide bombing targets.
Army now deployed St Denis Paris pic.twitter.com/gJc2gmhMkr
6.16am GMT
06:16
Abdel-Hamid Abu Oud: what we know about 'Paris attacks mastermind'
French officials have previously said Abdel-Hamid Abu Oud, 27, was instrumental in organising and executing the gun and suicide bomb attacks on Friday night that wrought devastation in central Paris.
Abu Oud, a Belgian of Moroccan origin, was first named by police as a wanted extremist after a gun battle in eastern Belgium in January during a raid on an Isis cell.
Abu Oud, the group’s suspected leader, spent time fighting alongside Isis in Syria. He was known to security forces after appearing in an Isis video, at the wheel of a car transporting mutilated bodies to a mass grave.
Abu Oud was also linked by French officials to the thwarted attacks on a Paris-bound high-speed train in August and a foiled plot to attack a church in Paris in April. The French newspaper Libération also linked him to Sid Ahmed Ghlam, a French student charged with murder, attempted murder and terror offences.
Abu Oud regularly attempted to recruit other western fighters to join Isis militants in Syria – even recruiting his 13-year-old brother, Younes, according to French media.
6.11am GMT
06:11
Angelique Chrisafis
A local politician said neighbours who heard shots ring out thought there was another terrorist attack underway.
He said that during the police assault on the apartment – which is still taking place not far from Saint-Denis’s famous basilica – shots had been fired over a period of over an hour.
The metro is closed and buses in the area are shut down. Locals are being advised not to leave their homes.
The raid is taking place in the centre of St-Denis near key shopping streets and residential streets. Neighbours who had opened their windows have been ordered to close them. BFMTV reported that a passerby might have been injured.
A resident and young mother close to the area told Le Monde:
I was woken at 4:10am by explosions. They went on for around 20 minutes and then there was automatic gunfire and shots.
From our window we saw lights [flashing] as if grenades had been lit and thrown. Then helicopters had arrived, with spotlights on the roofs.
We’re scared. We’ve turned the lights on so the children won’t be so scared.
Updated
at 6.12am GMT
6.04am GMT
06:04
Salah Abdeslam also reported to be in St-Denis
Jon Henley
Citing police sources, French news channel BFMTV said the main target of the police operation in St-Denis was the suspected mastermind of the Paris attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, believed to have been in Syria but now apparently in France.
The other two men in holed up with him in the apartment block were believed to be Salah Abdeslam, the subject of a major manhunt since Saturday, and an unidentified “ninth attacker” sought since Tuesday night.
A BFM-TV reporter at the scene said the gunfire had now stopped after a battle that continued for more than two hours, since around 4.30am, at an apartment block on the rue Gabriel Péri in St-Denis, north of Paris.
It is not known whether the “massive” police operation had succeeded in capturing them, whether they were injured, or whether negotiations were underway.
6.01am GMT
06:01
Target of police raid is 'Paris mastermind' Abdel-Hamid Abu Oud – reports
Agence France-Presse reports that the target of the police siege in St-Denis is Abdel-Hamid Abu Oud, thought to be the mastermind behind the Paris attacks.
It had been thought that he was in Syria.
You can read more about him in this profile:
Related: Paris attacks 'mastermind' Abdel-Hamid Abu Oud: what we know
5.50am GMT
05:50
Angelique Chrisafis
St-Denis is a town that borders Paris to the north and is where the Stade de France stadium is located, one of the targets of suicide bombers in Friday night’s attacks.
The apartment under siege is around a mile and a half from the stadium, in a densely populated area in the centre of St-Denis.
5.46am GMT
05:46
Transport to St-Denis has been cancelled, and schools in the suburb will not open on Wednesday, the mayor, Didier Paillard, has said.
Residents are being warned to stay indoors as the police operation continues.
5.42am GMT
05:42
Angelique Chrisafis
Angelique Chrisafis reports from Paris:
A raid by elite armed police on an apartment in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis has been underway since 4.30am Wednesday morning (0330 GMT) and is ongoing.
It is believed that several armed people are holed up in a flat that has been targeted in a dawn raid by armed police searching suspects and accomplices in Friday’s Paris attacks.
A police source told Le Monde that possibly two men were dead and a potential third, but it was unconfirmed because the assault was still taking place.
5.35am GMT
05:35
This map shows the location of the ongoing police operation in the centre of St-Denis, a suburb in the north of Paris:
5.30am GMT
05:30
St Denis shooting: what we know
The police operation in St-Denis is ongoing, but here is what we currently know:
Des riverains évacués avec couverture de survie, mis à l'abris dans l'hôtel de ville. Hélico sur place. pic.twitter.com/lStPnaTZHL
5.25am GMT
05:25
'Gunshots and explosions' in St-Denis
Associated Press has this latest information:
Authorities in the Paris suburb of St-Denis are telling residents to stay inside during a large police operation near France’s national stadium that two officials say is linked to last week’s deadly attacks.
Deputy mayor Stephane Peu told i-Télé television that there have been many gun shots and detonations in the operation that began at 4.25am local time (0325 GMT) on Wednesday on rue de la Republique in the centre of St-Denis.
The site is less than 2km (1.2 miles) from the Stade de France, targeted by three suicide bombers during Friday’s attacks.
Peu urged residents to stay home, saying: “It is not a new attack but a police intervention.”
Two officials say police operation now under way is connected to the investigation into Friday’s attacks that killed 129 people.
5.14am GMT
05:14
According to Djamel Mazi, a journalist in St-Denis, two or three men have barricaded themselves into an apartment in the centre of the suburb.
His images show a large police presence, and a helicopter overhead.
2 à 3 hommes retranchés dans appartement. Pause dans les tirs, hélico éclaire toits d'immeuble à saint Denis pic.twitter.com/rNRB6xG00J
5.07am GMT
05:07
Associated Press has some more detail from the scene:
An official says a large police operation is under way in the Paris suburb of St-Denis and it’s believed to be linked to the deadly attacks on the French capital.
The police official says there have been exchanges of gunfire and special SWAT teams are on the scene. The official was not authorised to be publicly named, according to police policy.
Police have blocked off the area around Place Jean Jaurès in Saint Denis, just north of Paris.
French authorities have said they are searching for at least two people involved in last Friday’s attacks, which killed at least 129 people and seven terrorists.
Ambulances can be seen and sirens heard in French television footage from the scene.
5.04am GMT
05:04
Residents in St Denis have reportedly been told to stay inside their homes and away from the windows.
Reports say automatic gunfire has been heard, along with possible explosions.
A police helicopter is also overhead, with the central location apparently place Jean Jaurès, close to the St Denis basilica.
Reprise des tirs, hélico encore sur zone. Mouvements chez les policiers pic.twitter.com/Teq2PV2v9R
4.58am GMT
04:58
France Info quotes Didier Paillard, mayor of St Denis, who says he can still hear exchanges of gunfire:
It has not stopped since 4.30 [am].
It is now 6am in Paris.
4.56am GMT
04:56
Agence France-Presse confirms police officers have been injured in the St Denis raid.
It’s not yet known how many have been hurt or the severity of the injuries.
4.48am GMT
04:48
St Denis shooting: a summary
Here’s a quick run-down of what we know about current events in St Denis, where it is currently 5.50am:
4.43am GMT
04:43
The time in Paris currently is 5.40am; several reports of gunfire have been made, beginning at around 4.30am local time.
Various images and videos are being shared on social media, purportedly from St Denis, but as yet we can’t verify the veracity of these.
4.37am GMT
04:37
French media reports suggest a number of police officers have been injured during the ongoing operation in St Denis.
The Guardian is currently unable to independently confirm this.
Attentats Paris:Exclusif RMC operation de police à St Denis. Le 9eme terroriste ciblé, policiers blessés,plusieurs indicidus retranchés
4.34am GMT
04:34
Some background information that might be relevant to the unfolding police operation in St Denis:
French police earlier said that video footage of the Paris attacks reveals the presence of a ninth, previously unnoticed, jihadi, who could still be at large.
The video shows the new suspect in a black Seat car with two other attackers, opening fire with assault rifles through its window at customers at a bar in central Paris. The car was later found abandoned in Paris suburb of Montreuil, with three AK-47 rifles in it.
On the same night, three attackers died at the Bataclan theatre, and three more at the Stade de France. If there were three people in the Seat, it would bring the total number of attackers to nine.
One of the other attackers in the car is believed to have been Brahim Abdeslam, a Belgian jihadi who blew himself up on Paris’s Boulevard Voltaire. His brother Salah Abdeslam is on the run and is the target of a Europe-wide manhunt.
If there was another man in the Seat, he is unaccounted for and police on Tuesday night were facing the possibility they were chasing two fugitives from the crime scene rather than just one.
You can read the full report on the “ninth attacker” here:
Related: French police hunt for ‘ninth suspect’ believed to be involved in Paris attacks
4.24am GMT
04:24
Roads are being closed off in St Denis as the police operation continues there, amid reports of “heavy gunfire”.
Reports say there are large number of police officers and police vehicles in the area.
4.21am GMT
04:21
France’s iTélé has some more information on the shooting in the north of Paris, which it reports is linked to the investigation into Friday’s attacks; the Guardian can’t yet confirm this.
Echange de coups de feu en Seine-Saint-Denis, en lien avec la traque des fugitifs (proche de l'enquête)
Intervention en cours du RAID place Jean Jaurès à Saint-Denis, où plusieurs hommes seraient retranchés (sources policières)
4.16am GMT
04:16
AFP reports shooting in St Denis, north of Paris – it’s where the Stade de France is located.
The report says the shooting took place during a police operation, but there is no further information at the moment.
Fusillade à Saint-Denis, au nord de Paris, lors d'une opération policière #AFP
4.07am GMT
04:07
Air France: threats made against two flights
Air France confirms that flights AF055 en route from Washington Dulles (IAD) to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and AF065 from Los Angeles (LAX) to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) were subjects of anonymous threats received [the French-language statement adds: “by telephone”] after their respective take-offs.
As a precautionary measure and to conduct all necessary security checks, Air France, applying the safety regulations in force, decided to request the landings of both aircraft.
Flight AF055 landed safely in Halifax (YHZ) and flight AF065 landed in Salt Lake City (SLC).
Local authorities are carrying out complete inspections of the aircraft, the passengers and their luggage.
An investigation will be led by the authorities to identify the source of the telephone call.
Updated
at 4.08am GMT
3.55am GMT
03:55
Air France has now put out a statement about the diversion of two of its Paris-bound flights from the US on Wednesday night.
It confirms that the two flights were diverted due to “anonymous threats made in a phone call”.
#AirFrance confirms that both flights #AF055 from Washington #IAD and #AF065 from Los Angeles #LAX landed safely. pic.twitter.com/m5mMBxoAsU
Updated
at 4.10am GMT
3.52am GMT
03:52
The flight diverted to Halifax is also due to resume its journey to Paris, according to the Air France flight tracker:
@Claire_Phipps And for AF55: pic.twitter.com/J4qryJ3HQz
3.50am GMT
03:50
Reader @MoncriefIsMe points out that the Air France website indicates that one of the diverted flights is due to take off again from Salt Lake City within the next couple of hours – suggesting that whatever security incident prompted the diversion might now have been discounted or dealt with:
@Claire_Phipps This is what I see for AF65: pic.twitter.com/Jo7ctLvqBE
3.36am GMT
03:36
Both diverted planes have landed – one at Salt Lake City, the other in Halifax, Nova Scotia – and passengers have disembarked.
3.29am GMT
03:29
And this shows the diversion of Air France flight 55 to Halifax:
#AF55, Washington-Paris, has also diverted and is on the ground in Halifax. https://t.co/MT4bJ7jdga pic.twitter.com/U9uhivoG7i
3.23am GMT
03:23
The second diverted flight was Air France flight number 55.
Flightradar has this information on the Paris-bound flight that has landed in Salt Lake City:
Per FAA, #AF65—LA to Paris—diverted to Salt Lake City due to a "security incident". https://t.co/codxvNqXPP pic.twitter.com/gvL1TmLvL1
3.18am GMT
03:18
Second Air France plane diverted to Nova Scotia
There are also reports from Canada that a second Air France flight has been diverted: this one travelling from Washington Dulles to Paris, which has now landed in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Air France flight from Washington to Paris diverted to Halifax. Passengers are being removed from flight. No word on why flight diverted.
3.14am GMT
03:14
Air France flight diverted to Salt Lake City after 'security incident'
An Air France flight travelling from Los Angeles to Paris has been diverted to Salt Lake City.
A spokesperson for the Federal Aviation Administration told the media:
It was diverted to Salt Lake City because of a security incident.
You need to contact local authorities and TSA [Transportation Security Administration] for more information.
The flight was an Airbus 380 Air France flight 65, heading to Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.
We do not have further information on the nature of the incident, and it could, of course, be entirely unrelated to ongoing events in France.
I will update this live blog with more information as it comes in.
2.57am GMT
02:57
Latest summary
I cannot think of a more potent recruitment tool for Isil [Isis] than some of the rhetoric that’s been coming out of here during the course of this debate…
They are scared of widows and orphans coming into the United States of America as part of our tradition of compassion.
Read more:
2.39am GMT
02:39
And a bit more from Obama:
They’ve been playing on fear to score political points or to advance their campaigns and it’s irresponsible.
It needs to stop because the world is watching.
People did not “resort to fear and panic” after the Boston marathon bombing, he said:
People went to the ball game that week, and sang the national anthem. And went back to the stores and went back to the streets.
That’s how you defeat Isil, not by trying to divide the country.
2.29am GMT
02:29
Further details of those very strong comments from President Obama on Republican efforts to stop the US taking Syrian refugees in the wake of the Paris attacks.
He described comments about refugees by a number of US politicians as “offensive” and “political posturing”:
We are not well served when, in response to a terrorist attack, we descend into fear and panic.
We don’t make good decisions if it’s based on hysteria or an exaggeration of risks.
When individuals say we should have a religious test and that only Christians, proven Christians should be admitted, that’s offensive.
I cannot think of a more potent recruitment tool for Isil [Isis] than some of the rhetoric that’s been coming out of here during the course of this debate.
Isil seeks to exploit the idea that there’s war between Islam and the West, and when you see individuals in positions of responsibility suggesting Christians are more worthy of protection than Muslims are in a war-torn land, that feeds the Isil narrative.
It’s counter-productive. And it needs to stop.
And I would add, these are the same folks who suggested they’re so tough that just ‘talk to Putin’ or staring down Isil [will work] … but they are scared of widows and orphans coming into the United States of America as part of our tradition of compassion.
At first they were too scared of the press being too tough on them in the debates. Now they are scared of three-year-old orphans. That doesn’t seem so tough to me.
(Republican presidential candidates Jeb Bush and Ted Cruz have called for Syrian Christians to be given priority for resettlement in the US.)
Updated
at 2.46am GMT
2.13am GMT
02:13
US president Barack Obama, who is in the Philippines attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, has responded to the clamour among Republicans in the US to halt the country’s acceptance of refugees from Syria.
The House speaker, Paul Ryan, announced on Tuesday that he had formed a taskforce to examine ways of forcing Obama’s hand on the issue:
Our nation has always been welcoming but we cannot let terrorists take advantage of our compassion.
This is a moment where it is better to be safe than to be sorry, so we think the prudent, the responsible thing is to take a pause in this particular aspect of this refugee program in order to verify that terrorists are not looking to infiltrate the refugee program.
Fifteen state governors, including one Democrat, have already said they will not accept refugees from Syria but under federal law they have little power to block their entry into the country.
Obama, speaking in Manila on Wednesday said that he saw “hysteria and exaggeration of risk” in some of the opposition:
It needs to stop because the world is watching.
Obama: "Cannot think of a more potent recruitment tool for #ISIS than some of the rhetoric during the course of this debate." #refugees
Obama: "Apparently they are scared of widows and orphans coming into the United States of America." #refugees
1.57am GMT
01:57
The cars: what do we know
Various cars have been linked to the suspects involved in the Paris attacks. Here’s what we know about them:
The black Seat
On Sunday, police found a black Seat car abandoned in the east Parisian suburb of Montreuil. The rental car, which was Belgian-registered, reportedly contained three Kalashnikovs.
Video unearthed on Tuesday showed an unidentified person travelling in the black Seat with two other attackers, spotted in a video found by investigators on Tuesday. The Seat was used by gunmen who opened fire on people in restaurants in the 10th and 11th arrondisssments.
One of the attackers in the car is believed to have been Ibrahim Abdeslam, who blew himself up on boulevard Voltaire.
The black Renault Clio
A black Renault Clio was found in in Albert Kahn Square, in the 18th arrondissement on Tuesday. It is believed to have been rented by Salah Abdeslam, but it is unclear what its purpose was in the plot.
Islamic State’s official statement claiming responsibility mentioned attacks in the 10th, 11th and the 18th district. No attack took place in the 18th district on Friday.
The grey VW Polo
The Polo was rented in Belgium by Salah Abdeslam and found near the Bataclan after the attacks.
The VW Golf
Salah Abdeslam was stopped by police travelling in a Volkswagen Golf with two other men in a routine check near the French-Belgian border early on Saturday morning. The men were allowed to continue their journey, because their names were not yet on a wanted list.
Abdeslam’s two companions, Mohammed Amri, 27, and Hamza Attouh, 21, were charged on Tuesday with terrorism offences after admitting that they had driven Abdeslam back from the French capital to Brussels.
The VW Golf with Montenegrin plates
On 5 November, a 51-year-old Montenegrin man was stopped in another Volkswagen Golf, this one with Montenegrin plates, near Germany’s border with Austria. Officials found automatic weapons, dynamite, hand grenades and ammunition. The suspect’s mobile phone and GPS system indicated he was en route to Paris. The man is in custody in Bavaria in southern Germany on suspicion of trying to supply arms and explosives to the Paris attackers, authorities in Munich have said.
1.47am GMT
01:47
Raya Jalabi
Milena Denis, an art and design student, was having dinner steps away from La Belle Equipe, one of the locations targeted in Friday night’s attacks. She wrote about her ordeal for the Guardian, and about the stranger who told her to take cover:
I drew this man two days after the Paris attacks.
Last Friday, I was having dinner at the Waly Fay, a restaurant two doors away from La Belle Equipe, where 19 people lost their lives. It was my friend’s birthday. I was there with with my friends, many other people were there with their friends. We heard the gunshots but didn’t understand what was happening. Some of us thought someone had started playing with firecrackers. We stayed inside.
Minutes later, the gunshots were gone, leaving a strange feeling of uncertainty among us. A man from the building opposite us opened his window and looked down on rue de Charonne. He was the only thing I could see from where I was seated. I kept staring at him and he saw our group. He gestured towards us. It meant “move, don’t stay near the windows. Hide in the back.” And that’s what we did. Calmly. Still unsure what was going on.
When the first ambulance arrived, some of us went outside and saw what had happened just steps away from us. And the more I come to realize the dimension of this tragedy, the more I hold on to this man, and his gesture.
I drew this man for myself, to remember. Because I’m glad such people exist. They are the reason people live in cities full of unknown faces like Paris or Beirut. Because strangers, like him, will lend us a hand, perhaps risking their own safety, for no reason other than us being there. His face, one I could trust, holds more value than any other symbol of my city in my mind.
Milena Denis is on Instagram here.
1.26am GMT
01:26
French newspaper Libération has a scoop:
Scoop : les Anglais nous aiment https://t.co/hftLYKTtO3 pic.twitter.com/U1eHkuRMWi
Updated
at 1.29am GMT
1.16am GMT
01:16
The attackers: what we know so far
With news that there could have been nine attackers – with two still alive and on the run – here is what is so far known about the terrorists who were directly involved.
Stade de France
Three attackers died as they blew themselves up here:
Bataclan
Three attackers also died here:
Comptoir Voltaire
Still at large
1.05am GMT
01:05
We have video showing scenes as fans were told to leave the stadium in Hanover, 90 minutes ahead of the start of the friendly match before the German and Dutch football teams.
Meanwhile, in London, where France was playing England in another friendly game, fans of both teams sang the Marseillaise:
The words Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité were also beamed on to the exterior of Wembley stadium.
England ultimately beat France 2-0.
12.57am GMT
00:57
As yet, no confirmation has been made by German authorities of the veracity of the threats made in Hanover tonight.
At a press conference in Hanover earlier, the German interior minister, Thomas de Maizière, said that the decision to call off the match was made after “an increase in tip-offs in the early evening”, but refused to comment further on the source and extent of the threat.
De Maizière told reporters:
It was an extremely tough decision to cancel the match, which was made after many pieces of information indicated a concrete threat.
Earlier on Tuesday – before the alert – De Maizière had told a press conference that the security situation in Germany was critical and the chances of an attack on German soil “very high”.
12.33am GMT
00:33
Was there a ninth attacker?
Investigators now believe there could have been a ninth attacker directly involved in Friday’s nights atrocities, suggesting there could now be two suspects at large, reports my colleague Julian Borger:
French police have said that video footage of the Paris attacks reveals the presence of a ninth, previously unnoticed, jihadi, who could still be at large.
The video shows the new suspect in a black Seat car with two other attackers, opening fire with assault rifles through its window at customers at a bar in central Paris, a source close to the inquiry told Agence France Presse.
The car was later found abandoned in Paris suburb of Montreuil, with three AK47 rifles in it.
On the same night, three attackers died at the Bataclan theatre, and three more at the Stade de France. If there were three people in the Seat, it would bring the total number of attackers to nine.
One of the other attackers in the car is believed to have been Ibrahim Abdeslam, a Belgian jihadi who blew himself up one Paris’s boulevard Voltaire.
His brother, Salah Abdeslam, is on the run and is the target of a Europe-wide manhunt.
If there was another man in the Seat, he is unaccounted for and police were facing the possibility they were chasing two fugitives from the crime scene rather than just one.
Salah Abdeslam was last seen crossing the French border to Belgium in the company of two other men early on Saturday morning. Those two alleged accomplices were detained in Brussels over the weekend and charged on Tuesday with terrorism offences for their role in the Paris attacks, after admitting that they had escorted Abdeslam back from the French capital to Brussels.
You can read the full report here:
Related: French police hunt for second fugitive believed to be involved in Paris attacks
12.27am GMT
00:27
French president François Hollande is to visit the US next week to discuss “further cooperation as part of the counter-Isil [Isis] coalition”, the White House has confirmed.
The statement reads:
President Obama will host President François Hollande of France for a meeting in the Oval Office on Tuesday, November 24, in the wake of the horrific terrorist attacks in Paris of November 13.
This visit will underscore the friendship and solidarity between the United States and France, our oldest ally.
President Obama and President Hollande will consult and coordinate our efforts to assist France’s investigation into these attacks, discuss further cooperation as part of the 65-member counter-ISIL coalition, and reiterate our shared determination to confront the scourge of terrorism.
12.19am GMT
00:19
French media has further detail on the mobile (cell) phone reportedly found close to the Bataclan.
ITélé reports that the phone contained a detailed map of the inside of the music venue, as well as a message sent minutes before the attack: “On y va” (“let’s go”).
Un portable de kamikaze retrouvé au bataclan. A l intérieur un plan détaillé de la salle et le sms "on y va" envoyé qq mn avant l'attaque
12.10am GMT
00:10
Phone found with 'let's go' message – reports
Reuters reports:
A cell phone has been found near the site of one of Friday’s Paris shootings with a map of the music venue that was attacked and a text message on it saying words to the effect of “let’s go”, a source with knowledge of the investigations said.
Confirming reports on French web site Mediapart and US television channel CNN, the source said the phone was found in a dustbin near the Bataclan concert hall where the bloodiest of the shootings took place.
CNN reports that the message was found on an encrypted app on the phone.
The Guardian has not yet been able to verify the reports independently.
11.56pm GMT
23:56
Opening summary
Welcome to continuing live coverage as we follow events in the wake of the attacks on Paris on Friday.
The latest key developments centre on the hunt for what police now believe could be two attackers on the run, and a “concrete” terrorist threat in Germany, forcing the cancellation of a football match in Hanover.
Here are the key points:
Hanover
More on Hanover here.
Paris
Fresh anti-Isis strikes
Updated
at 12.43pm GMT