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| Charlie Hebdo attack: 'Police operation underway' in village north-east of Paris in hunt for two suspects | Charlie Hebdo attack: 'Police operation underway' in village north-east of Paris in hunt for two suspects |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Hundreds of elite police officers combed fields and woodland in northern France today for two Franco-Algerian brothers sought for the murderous attack on the magazine Charlie Hebdo. | Hundreds of elite police officers combed fields and woodland in northern France today for two Franco-Algerian brothers sought for the murderous attack on the magazine Charlie Hebdo. |
| As Puma helicopters flew overhead, the heavily armed officers mounted road blocks and scoured the countryside in a an area ten by twelves miles square around the small town of Crépy en Valois, 60 miles north east of Paris. | As Puma helicopters flew overhead, the heavily armed officers mounted road blocks and scoured the countryside in a an area ten by twelves miles square around the small town of Crépy en Valois, 60 miles north east of Paris. |
| The pair are thought to be in Crépy-en-Valois (Graphic by John Bradley) | The pair are thought to be in Crépy-en-Valois (Graphic by John Bradley) |
| Earlier two men resembling Chérif Kouachi, 32, and Said Kouachi, 34, held up a petrol filling station at gunpoint close to the town. The brothers are believed responsible for the gun assault on Wednesday which killed 12 people at the satircal magazine, known for lampooning radical Islam. | Earlier two men resembling Chérif Kouachi, 32, and Said Kouachi, 34, held up a petrol filling station at gunpoint close to the town. The brothers are believed responsible for the gun assault on Wednesday which killed 12 people at the satircal magazine, known for lampooning radical Islam. |
| Heavy weapons, including assault rifles and grenade launcgers were seen in their light grey Renault Clio car – apparently the same vehicle hijacked by gunmen after Wednesday’s killings. The men, wearing masks, ordered staff to fill up their car at gunpoint. | Heavy weapons, including assault rifles and grenade launcgers were seen in their light grey Renault Clio car – apparently the same vehicle hijacked by gunmen after Wednesday’s killings. The men, wearing masks, ordered staff to fill up their car at gunpoint. |
| Le GIPN fouille le village. pic.twitter.com/xLHbzUwRj8 | |
| Initially the suspected terrorists were reported to be heading down the N2 trunk road towards Paris. Armed police were sent to guard all the northen entrances to the city. | Initially the suspected terrorists were reported to be heading down the N2 trunk road towards Paris. Armed police were sent to guard all the northen entrances to the city. |
| Later, however, police said that the two men had abandoned their car and were thought to have fled into woodland on foot. All local people were advised to stay indoors. | Later, however, police said that the two men had abandoned their car and were thought to have fled into woodland on foot. All local people were advised to stay indoors. |
| Armed police were also seen going from door-to-door questioning residents and stopping cars on the roads of the tiny village of Corcy. | Armed police were also seen going from door-to-door questioning residents and stopping cars on the roads of the tiny village of Corcy. |
| Helicopters and police units of France’s two elite police squads – the Raid and the GIGN – were deployed to the area earlier this afternoon after the hold-up of the petrol station. | Helicopters and police units of France’s two elite police squads – the Raid and the GIGN – were deployed to the area earlier this afternoon after the hold-up of the petrol station. |
| Fouille des maisons chasse à l'homme #CharlieHebdo #JeSuisCharlie @ParisMatch pic.twitter.com/k0Oq5ytB24 | Fouille des maisons chasse à l'homme #CharlieHebdo #JeSuisCharlie @ParisMatch pic.twitter.com/k0Oq5ytB24 |
| An employee in the petrol station told the AFP news agency that he recognised the men as they ordered him to fill up a light grey Renault Clio, possibly the same vehicle that they hijacked after yesterday’s killings. Several shots were fired. | An employee in the petrol station told the AFP news agency that he recognised the men as they ordered him to fill up a light grey Renault Clio, possibly the same vehicle that they hijacked after yesterday’s killings. Several shots were fired. |
| A third man, earlier named as a suspect by police, handed himself in late last night. | A third man, earlier named as a suspect by police, handed himself in late last night. |
| Cherif and Said Kouachi, reportedly 32 and 34 | Cherif and Said Kouachi, reportedly 32 and 34 |
| Seven other individuals arrested overnight are thought to be associates or family of the suspects and were detained in the towns of Reims and Charleville-Mezieres, as well as in the Paris area. | Seven other individuals arrested overnight are thought to be associates or family of the suspects and were detained in the towns of Reims and Charleville-Mezieres, as well as in the Paris area. |
| Hamyd Mourad, 18, from the town of Charleville Mézières on the Belgian border, surrendered to police after seeing his name on social media yesterday. | Hamyd Mourad, 18, from the town of Charleville Mézières on the Belgian border, surrendered to police after seeing his name on social media yesterday. |
| Mr Mourad claims he was attending school at 11.30am yesterday when the attacks took place. Since he handed himself in, people purporting to be Mr Mourad's classmates are insisting that he was in school, with many using the hashtag #HamydMouradInnocent. | Mr Mourad claims he was attending school at 11.30am yesterday when the attacks took place. Since he handed himself in, people purporting to be Mr Mourad's classmates are insisting that he was in school, with many using the hashtag #HamydMouradInnocent. |
| An unidentified man is detained in Reims | An unidentified man is detained in Reims |
| News of the arrests came as a female police officer was shot dead in a southern Paris suburb this morning. Officers claim it is too early to say whether the shooting was connected to yesterday's massacre. | News of the arrests came as a female police officer was shot dead in a southern Paris suburb this morning. Officers claim it is too early to say whether the shooting was connected to yesterday's massacre. |
| Sky News reports claim among the recently arrested in relation to yesterday's attack is the brother-in-law of one of the two suspected gunmen. | Sky News reports claim among the recently arrested in relation to yesterday's attack is the brother-in-law of one of the two suspected gunmen. |
| The brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi are said to be “armed and dangerous”. | The brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi are said to be “armed and dangerous”. |
| Chérif, 32, was already known to security officials for a previous terror conviction. | Chérif, 32, was already known to security officials for a previous terror conviction. |
| He was jailed in 2008 for three years for seeking to join extremists in Iraq as part of a jihadist group which appeared to offer instruction in how to fire the Kalashnikov rifle – the weapon used in the Charlie Hebdo attack. | He was jailed in 2008 for three years for seeking to join extremists in Iraq as part of a jihadist group which appeared to offer instruction in how to fire the Kalashnikov rifle – the weapon used in the Charlie Hebdo attack. |
| The two brothers suspected of the attack are believed to be orphans of Algerian descent, raised in the city of Rennes in north west France. | The two brothers suspected of the attack are believed to be orphans of Algerian descent, raised in the city of Rennes in north west France. |
| One of the brothers' ID cards has reportedly been discovered in an abandoned getaway car used by the two, French website Le Point reported. | One of the brothers' ID cards has reportedly been discovered in an abandoned getaway car used by the two, French website Le Point reported. |
| Police have cordoned off a block of flats where one of the brothers was believed to have been living with his partner, | Police have cordoned off a block of flats where one of the brothers was believed to have been living with his partner, |
| France's Prime Minister Manuel Valls told RTL radio early this morning the two men were known to intelligence services and the fear that they could carry out another attack "is our main concern." | France's Prime Minister Manuel Valls told RTL radio early this morning the two men were known to intelligence services and the fear that they could carry out another attack "is our main concern." |
| A bullet impact is seen in a window of a building next to the French satirical magazine Bystanders told The Times that the gunmen told them they were from al-Qaeda in Yemen, also known as al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). | A bullet impact is seen in a window of a building next to the French satirical magazine Bystanders told The Times that the gunmen told them they were from al-Qaeda in Yemen, also known as al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). |
| The murder of nine journalists, two police officers and a maintenance man by masked men has shocked France. Around 11.30am two men forcibly entered the offices of the satirical magazine, where a weekly editorial meeting was taking place, and after compelling the journalists to identify themselves opened fire. They were late seen fleeing the building. | The murder of nine journalists, two police officers and a maintenance man by masked men has shocked France. Around 11.30am two men forcibly entered the offices of the satirical magazine, where a weekly editorial meeting was taking place, and after compelling the journalists to identify themselves opened fire. They were late seen fleeing the building. |
| A minute’s silence will be observed at 12pm (local time) across the country and the bells of Notre Dame will toll. In the UK police officers across the country are expected to also observed a moment of silence at 10.30GMT. | A minute’s silence will be observed at 12pm (local time) across the country and the bells of Notre Dame will toll. In the UK police officers across the country are expected to also observed a moment of silence at 10.30GMT. |
| Last night vigils were attended by thousands in Paris and hundreds in Berlin and London. | Last night vigils were attended by thousands in Paris and hundreds in Berlin and London. |
| French President François Hollande called the massacre “an act of exceptional barbarism," as UK Prime Minister David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US president Barack Obama also condemned the actions of the attackers. | French President François Hollande called the massacre “an act of exceptional barbarism," as UK Prime Minister David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US president Barack Obama also condemned the actions of the attackers. |