‘Heavy Gunfire’ Breaks Out In Paris During Police Hunt For Terror Suspects

Heavy gunfire has been heard 4:30am in Saint-Denis – which is close by to one of the locations of the terror attacks over the weekend – and have continued in bursts for at least 90 minutes. Authorities have been overheard telling residents that it is “not a new attack, but a police intervention”. Transport to St-Denis has been cancelled, and schools have closed for the day at police request. 

French authorities previously said that they were on the hunt for at least two people involved in the weekend’s terror attacks, but this has not been confirmed. 

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According to The Guardian, two or three men have barricaded themselves in an apartment and are shooting at police.

All surrounding roads have been closed off, and at least one officer has been injured in the crossfire. 

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A police source told Le Monde that two men were dead and another potentially dead, but this has not yet been confirmed as the operation is still under way.

According to an unconfirmed report from Agence France-Presse, the target of the police siege in St-Denis is Abdelhamid Abaaoud, who is thought to be the mastermind behind the Paris attacks.

He was thought to be in Syria. 

Heavy gunfire erupts as French police seek suspects in raid https://t.co/gY5MdVqFjY pic.twitter.com/A2MExnYLpr

— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 18, 2015

Des riverains évacués avec couverture de survie, mis à l’abris dans l’hôtel de ville. Hélico sur place. pic.twitter.com/lStPnaTZHL

— Djamel Mazi (@djamel_mazi) November 18, 2015

French police in anti-terrorist raid in Paris WATCH LIVE https://t.co/hJSqeLM0sg pic.twitter.com/KVxfBHWUX7

— RT (@RT_com) November 18, 2015

BREAKING: #Paris police now raiding apartment where several suspects holed up; multiple officers injured, AP

— Lisa Daftari (@LisaDaftari) November 18, 2015

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Footage compiled by Fairfax shows police officers engaged in heavy gunfire. 

Raw vision appears to show police trading gunfire with terror suspects in St Denis, #Paris. https://t.co/0QKPnD1gJj
https://t.co/6KUkKRw2kr

— smh.com.au (@smh) November 18, 2015

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Sources report the sounds of a series of explosions in the vicinity.

Almost a dozen loud blasts heard from police operation in St Denis. Sounded like sound grenades.

— Alexander Marquardt (@MarquardtA) November 18, 2015

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French television network iTELE say three people have been killed, one of whom was a woman reportedly wearing a suicide belt. Fairfax reports the belt was detonated. The operation is still underway.

 

French channel @itele reports that 3 have been killed, including a woman with a suicide belt, and three have been arrested in #StDenis.

— Julie Lenarz (@MsJulieLenarz) November 18, 2015

#Breaking: Three terrorists dead, including female who detonated suicide vest, after police operation near Paris. https://t.co/EKAX32rcig

— smh.com.au (@smh) November 18, 2015

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Authorities have confirmed 7 suspects were arrested during the raid. The main operations at the apartment have also ended, as of 11:15 local time.

Latest on Paris attacks: French government says police raid on Paris attack suspects’ apartment over; 7 arrested https://t.co/W6E0xtDkp9

— The Associated Press (@AP) November 18, 2015

The location of Abaaoud remains unknown to officials.