Third body found in raided Saint-Denis flat where Isis Paris attacks 'mastermind' Abdelhamid Abaaoud died
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Version 0 of 1. A third body has been found in the rubble of the flat where the “mastermind” of the Paris attacks was found allegedly planning further massacres in the French capital. The Paris public prosecutor’s office said the woman’s remains were found in Saint-Denis overnight, almost two days after armed police raided the building. A spokesperson said her identity has not been confirmed. Abdelhamid Abaaoud, a Belgian Isis militant who allegedly co-ordinated Friday’s attacks, was killed in the raid in the early hours of Wednesday, alongside a female suicide bomber who detonated her vest as police closed in. She was named locally as Abaaoud’s cousin, Hasna Aitboulahcen. Although her identity has not been officially announced, the prosecutor’s office said today that a handbag containing her passport was found on the floor. The cause of the second woman’s death is unclear but police previously said part of the building had caved in following a lengthy gun battle with police, the suicide bombing and grenades. Abaaoud’s body was reportedly found in the flat below after falling through the floor, while three men from inside the building were arrested and another man and woman were detained from outside. Authorities believe they were part of a terror cell set to carry out a second attack reportedly targeting Charles de Gaulle airport and Paris’ financial district La Defense. Francois Molins, the Paris prosecutor, said the operation neutralised a “new terrorist threat”, and that “everything led us to believe that, considering their armaments, the structured organisation and their determination, they were ready to act”. |