Four hostages and three hostage-takers, including the suspected perpetrators of the Charlie Hebdo massacre, were killed during two police raids in France today.
Police stormed a Jewish supermarket in Paris and a print works in northeast France in simultaneous rapid, violent raids that ended two sieges and, seemingly, a three day attack on the city and country.
Two armed brothers, Chérif and Saïd Kouachi - who were suspected of killing 12 in the massacre at the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo - took one man hostage at the print works in the town of Danmartin-en-Goele, 25 miles north-east of Paris at approximately 9am France time.
At 1pm an armed man - Amedy Coulibaly, suspect in the killing of a policewoman on Thursday - took hostages in a Jewish supermarket in the north-east of the capital. It later emerged he killed four of the hostages. Reports from Frenchmedia say they were likely killed before the raid.
Coulibaly had threatened that he would kill hostages if police harmed the Kourachi brothers. Coulibaly told a French TV station he was with the Islamic State group and connected with the brothers.
French TV network later confirmed they had been in contact with Cherif Kouachi/ Kuachi told them he was operating on the orders of “al Qaeda in Yemen”.
The supermarket attacker failed to properly hang up a phone inside the building, allowing police to hack into the line and listen in to what was happening inside. When they heard Coulibaly begin his prayers they moved in.
Police moved on both locations almost simultaneously. Police later said the brothers had attempted an audacious escape, coming out of the building shooting before being killed. In Paris a volley of flash-bang grenades began what appeared to be a chaotic process in which the police stormed the supermarket as hostages fled from it. Fifteen hostages escaped from the building alive.
After the attacks, France president Francois Hollande called for unity and vigilance from the French people.
Speaking shortly after the raids concluded, French Interior Minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, has said an investigating is ongoing into the sieges. “We’re gradually getting more clarity on what happened,” he told reporters in Paris. He commended the police who undertook the operation to end the siege as “professional and courageous”.
Cazeneuve said France remains on high alert following the attacks.
“Over the past several months, we have taken precautions through anti-terror laws to be more effective in combating terrorism. On Sunday, I am meeting my EU colleagues who have been invited to Paris. We are obligated to remain vigilant,” he said.
VIDEO: Police storm Paris supermarket to end siege
