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| Paris attacks: Police in deadly swoop on apartment in northern suburb | Paris attacks: Police in deadly swoop on apartment in northern suburb |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Explosions and heavy gunfire were heard in Paris as armed police searching for suspects from Friday's attacks raided a flat in the suburb of Saint Denis. | Explosions and heavy gunfire were heard in Paris as armed police searching for suspects from Friday's attacks raided a flat in the suburb of Saint Denis. |
| Two people were killed in the raid, including a female suspect who blew herself up with a suicide belt. Seven people have been arrested, police say. | |
| A government spokesman has confirmed the operation has ended. | |
| The focus of the raid is said to be the alleged mastermind of Friday's attacks that killed 129 people. | |
| Abdelhamid Abaaoud, a 27-year-old Belgian of Moroccan origin, was originally suspected of organising Friday's attacks from Syria. | Abdelhamid Abaaoud, a 27-year-old Belgian of Moroccan origin, was originally suspected of organising Friday's attacks from Syria. |
| But this has not been confirmed. | |
| Follow the latest live events | Follow the latest live events |
| Roads were blocked off around Rue de la Republique in Saint Denis, in the same district as the Stade de France where suicide attackers detonated bombs on Friday. | |
| Truckloads of soldiers joined armed police at the scene as the operation got under way at 04:20 local time (03.20 GMT). | |
| "I've been hearing gunshots continuously, like fireworks... There have been some breaks but... to me it sounds like continuous gunshots," one resident, Benson Hoi, told the BBC earlier. | "I've been hearing gunshots continuously, like fireworks... There have been some breaks but... to me it sounds like continuous gunshots," one resident, Benson Hoi, told the BBC earlier. |
| Another witness, Amine Guizani, told the Associated Press he heard the sounds of grenades and automatic gunfire. | Another witness, Amine Guizani, told the Associated Press he heard the sounds of grenades and automatic gunfire. |
| "They were shooting for an hour, non-stop. There were grenades. It was going, stopping, Kalashnikovs, Starting again," he said. | "They were shooting for an hour, non-stop. There were grenades. It was going, stopping, Kalashnikovs, Starting again," he said. |
| At least five people were believed to have been in the targeted third floor flat, French media report. | At least five people were believed to have been in the targeted third floor flat, French media report. |
| Multicultural Saint Denis: by Cagil Kasapoglu | Multicultural Saint Denis: by Cagil Kasapoglu |
| Saint Denis is a multicultural, multi-religious, multi-ethnic suburb or banlieue. There are Africans, Algerians, Indians, Chinese, Turkish and many more from different backgrounds. | Saint Denis is a multicultural, multi-religious, multi-ethnic suburb or banlieue. There are Africans, Algerians, Indians, Chinese, Turkish and many more from different backgrounds. |
| The majority of the population has "sans-papiers" status - meaning they do not yet have a legal status and an ID which would allow them to find a job. | The majority of the population has "sans-papiers" status - meaning they do not yet have a legal status and an ID which would allow them to find a job. |
| During my visit to Saint-Denis on Tuesday, I heard quite a lot of 'Us vs. Them' when they talked about the "Parisiens" and themselves in banlieues. | During my visit to Saint-Denis on Tuesday, I heard quite a lot of 'Us vs. Them' when they talked about the "Parisiens" and themselves in banlieues. |
| A woman inside the apartment set off an explosives vest at the beginning of the raid and died, the Paris prosecutor's office said. | A woman inside the apartment set off an explosives vest at the beginning of the raid and died, the Paris prosecutor's office said. |
| The prosecutor said that, among the arrests, three men were detained in the apartment and a man and woman were stopped nearby. | The prosecutor said that, among the arrests, three men were detained in the apartment and a man and woman were stopped nearby. |
| Police said a second suspect was killed. France's BFMTV said he had been shot by sniper fire. | |
| Five police officers were injured and a police dog was killed after entering the flat, police said. | Five police officers were injured and a police dog was killed after entering the flat, police said. |
| There were unconfirmed reports that at least one suspect was still being sought - either holed up in the flat or on the run. | |
| Earlier, Deputy Mayor Stephane Peu urged local residents to stay indoors, saying "it is not a new attack but a police intervention". | Earlier, Deputy Mayor Stephane Peu urged local residents to stay indoors, saying "it is not a new attack but a police intervention". |
| More on the Paris attacks | More on the Paris attacks |
| Special report: In-depth coverage of the attacks and their aftermath | Special report: In-depth coverage of the attacks and their aftermath |
| Security sources said on Tuesday that surveillance video showed a possible ninth assailant during Friday's attacks. | Security sources said on Tuesday that surveillance video showed a possible ninth assailant during Friday's attacks. |
| The video reportedly shows a third figure in the car carrying the group which attacked several bars and restaurants. | The video reportedly shows a third figure in the car carrying the group which attacked several bars and restaurants. |
| It is not clear if this ninth attacker is one of two suspected accomplices detained in Belgium or is someone still on the run. | It is not clear if this ninth attacker is one of two suspected accomplices detained in Belgium or is someone still on the run. |
| Paris tributes after the attacks - 360-degree video | Paris tributes after the attacks - 360-degree video |
| The near simultaneous attacks on bars and restaurants, a concert hall and the Stade du France left more than 400 people wounded, with 221 still in hospital, 57 of them in intensive care. | The near simultaneous attacks on bars and restaurants, a concert hall and the Stade du France left more than 400 people wounded, with 221 still in hospital, 57 of them in intensive care. |
| European countries are on high alert. On Tuesday evening, a football friendly between Germany and the Netherlands was cancelled shortly before kick-off and the stadium in Hannover evacuated after "concrete" information about a bomb threat, according to the city's police chief. | European countries are on high alert. On Tuesday evening, a football friendly between Germany and the Netherlands was cancelled shortly before kick-off and the stadium in Hannover evacuated after "concrete" information about a bomb threat, according to the city's police chief. |
| Part of Hanover railway station was also closed while a suspicious object was investigated. | Part of Hanover railway station was also closed while a suspicious object was investigated. |
| Meanwhile, two Air France planes heading to Paris from the US were diverted because of security threats. One was sent to Halifax in Canada, the other flew to Salt Lake City in the US state of Utah. Both planes landed safely and the passengers were unharmed. | Meanwhile, two Air France planes heading to Paris from the US were diverted because of security threats. One was sent to Halifax in Canada, the other flew to Salt Lake City in the US state of Utah. Both planes landed safely and the passengers were unharmed. |
| What is Islamic State? | What is Islamic State? |
| IS is a notoriously violent Islamist group which controls large parts of Syria and Iraq. It has declared its territory a caliphate - a state governed in accordance with Islamic law - under its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. | IS is a notoriously violent Islamist group which controls large parts of Syria and Iraq. It has declared its territory a caliphate - a state governed in accordance with Islamic law - under its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. |
| What does it want? | What does it want? |
| IS demands allegiance from all Muslims, rejects national borders and seeks to expand its territory. It follows its own extreme version of Sunni Islam and regards non-believers as deserving of death. | IS demands allegiance from all Muslims, rejects national borders and seeks to expand its territory. It follows its own extreme version of Sunni Islam and regards non-believers as deserving of death. |
| How strong is IS? | How strong is IS? |
| IS projects a powerful image, partly through propaganda and sheer brutality, and is the world's richest insurgent group. It has about 30,000 fighters but is facing daily bombing by a US-led multi-national coalition, which has vowed to destroy it. | IS projects a powerful image, partly through propaganda and sheer brutality, and is the world's richest insurgent group. It has about 30,000 fighters but is facing daily bombing by a US-led multi-national coalition, which has vowed to destroy it. |
| What is Islamic State? | What is Islamic State? |
| 'No timetable' for Syria strikes vote | 'No timetable' for Syria strikes vote |
| Are you in the area? Have you been affected by what has been happening? Do you have any information you can share? If it is safe to do so, you can get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk | Are you in the area? Have you been affected by what has been happening? Do you have any information you can share? If it is safe to do so, you can get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or use the form below | Or use the form below |