More than 100 armed officers stormed a flat in Saint-Denis this morning believing Paris massacres mastermind Abdelhamid Abaaoud, 27, was inside with six other terrorists - but the French authorities will not say if he was there or if he is dead or alive.
A female terrorist believed to be Abaaoud's jihadi bride or cousin blew herself up with a suicide vest and another suspect died during the six-hour siege where five people were taken alive and arrested. Two more suspects were held 'nearby'.
State broadcaster France 2 has claimed the group was a 'fourth unit' on top of the three who killed 129 on Friday and were planning simultaneous attacks with AK-47s and bombs on Paris Charles de Gaulle airport and the Quatre Temps shopping centre in the city's business district, Le Défense.
The Saint-Denis siege started at 4.25am when SWAT teams and special forces surrounded the building after security services hunting for Abaaoud spent days watching flats and tapping phones.
A woman 'with long blonde hair' is said to have fired her AK-47 at police before blowing herself up as an assault squad stormed their hideout. A seven-year-old sniffer dog called Diesel sent into the block to look for booby traps was killed in the blast. Another terror suspect was killed by a grenade blast.
The stand-off ended as a bloodied and half-naked suspect was dragged out of the apartment close to the Stade de France at 10.24am.
At least five police were injured in the ferocious gunfight including one shot in the foot seen being carried from the scene. Witnesses told MailOnline their street was 'turned into a warzone' after long periods of intense machine gun fire and at least seven large explosions, caused by the suicide bomber and hand grenades. There were no hostages involved.
Read More >>>
No comments:
Post a Comment