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France has declared a national state of emergency and has closed its borders after at least 40 people were killed in multiple shootings in Paris.
At least 15 people were killed near the Bataclan arts centre, where up to 60 people are being held hostage. Explosions and gunfire are reported.
Three people were killed in an attack near the Stade de France, with some reports suggesting a suicide blast.
Paris authorities have urged people to stay indoors.
Military personnel are being deployed across Paris.
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/11/13/455943961/violence-reported-in-paris
http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/13/world/paris-shooting/index.html
Update #1 [BBC updates]:
Scores of people have been killed in multiple gun and bomb attacks in Paris
At least 100 people are reported to have died inside the Bataclan concert hall in central Paris
Others died in attacks near the Stade de France, where France were playing Germany, and at restaurants
France has declared a national state of emergency and has closed its borders
Paris residents have been asked to stay indoors and military personnel are being deployed across the city
[...] Reuters. quoting an un-named official at Paris City Hall, says the current death toll in Paris is around 140.
According to the Paris prosecutor, of the four assailants who died during the sidge at the Bataclan, three committed suicide by detonating explosive vests. The prosecutor has warned that some of their accomplices may "still be on the loose".
[...] Here is what French president François Hollande told reporters outside the Bataclan concert hall just now: "To all those who have seen these awful things, I want to say we are going to lead a war which will be pitiless. Because when terrorists are capable of committing such atrocities they must be certain that they are facing a determined France, a united France, a France that is together and does not let itself be moved, even if today we express infinite sorrow."
(Score: 1) by tftp on Saturday November 14 2015, @02:51AM
Ok. Note, however, that ISIS only now got able to emplace a large number of their soldiers within the EU, by masquerading them as refugees. The attack in January was done by Chérif and Saïd Kouachi, French citizens born in Paris, not by infiltrators from Libya or Syria or wherever. It's yet unknown who exactly performed the attack on 11/13/2015, and whether the new arrivals have anything to do with it.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Saturday November 14 2015, @12:27PM
Disagree. There have been sporadic terror attacks over the past decade and more. More, there have been terror cells exposed throughout Europe in recent years. The terrorists have used European venues and resources to plan attacks around the world. Islamic terror groups are intertwined, of course. Former "Al Queda" groups have largely sworn allegiance to "ISIS" now. It isn't possible for you, me, or anyone to segregate one group's assets from another group's. The terrorists have infiltrated over a period of a couple decades, and they are taking action NOW, because France is involved in air raids in Iraq and Syria. Sleeper groups have been awakened.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2iBZkODgxA [youtube.com]
(Score: 2) by isostatic on Monday November 16 2015, @03:07AM
You imply some kind of command and control structure. I don't see that at all, and that's what makes fighting it so hard
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Monday November 16 2015, @03:31AM
Two things.
1. Somewhat like "sleeper cells" of the old Soviet days, a command structure isn't essential. Train highly motivated people, send them out into the world, and wait to see what they accomplish. You may additionally arrange for some signal to be sent openly, published in the personal ads, or on Facebook, or whatever.
2. Among the articles I've glanced at since I woke up this evening, was this: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/11/15/72-hours-before-paris-attacks-isis-linked-social-media-account-reveals-god-1219447939/?intcmp=trending [foxnews.com]
Regarding 2. - we have no idea how "hands on" the command structure was. Did the operatives merely communicate to the controllers that they had something planned, or did command plot the entire thing in detail? We may or may not learn more about that in days to come, but it is pretty certain that 8 or more random people didn't arrange this attack on the spur of the moment.