Here is the latest update on the operation in St-Denis, courtesy of BBC [3]:
- Heavy shooting, including explosions have been reported in St-Denis, a northern Paris suburb. St-Denis is where the Stade de France, one of the targets of Friday’s attacks, is located, although the current operation is about 2km away.
- The targets of the raid are the suspected mastermind of the Paris attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud; as well as Salah Abdeslam who has been the subject of an international manhunt.
- Police report three gunmen have been killed and there have been reports of a woman detonating a suicide belt. There have been three arrests.
- Shooting began at 4.30am local time (0330 GMT) and has continued in bursts in the hours since. At least seven explosions have been heard.
- Three police officers have been reported injured in the operation, apparently not seriously.
- People living in or near St Denis have been subjected to rigorous security checks as the operation in the suburb continues. The area itself has been sealed by the military.
- Shops and schools have been closed and transport is suspended.
The latest:
5 arrests in St Denis,3 from inside the apartment . A man and a woman close to the apartment have also been detained.
— Alexander Marquardt (@MarquardtA) November 18, 2015 [4]
All quiet at scene of #SaintDenis [5] siege. Officers appear relaxed. Reports three dead, three arrested #ParisAttacks [6] pic.twitter.com/Hq1mxjfvRy [7]
— anna holligan (@annaholligan) November 18, 2015 [8]
Live Feed 1:
Live Feed 2:
Le Monde reports 2 suspects dead, 1 officer injured.
Reports of heavy gunfire, substantiated by several videos appearing on Twitter and a local reporter, has woken residents in the northern Paris region of Saint-Denis. Beginning at around 430am local time, lasting around 15 minutes, Le Parisien reporter Jean Gabriel Bontinck assumed the shooting was part of an ongoing police raid. Police are telling residents to stay indoors.
Police, guns drawn, seal off neighborhood outside paris, searching the area pic.twitter.com/wMJag2HuIX [9]
— Richard Engel (@RichardEngel) November 18, 2015 [10]
Fusillade à Saint-Denis, au nord de Paris, lors d'une opération policière #AFP [11]
— Agence France-Presse (@afpfr) November 18, 2015 [12]
French police earlier said that video footage of the Paris attacks reveals the presence of a ninth, previously unnoticed, jihadi, who could still be at large.
The video shows the new suspect in a black Seat car with two other attackers, opening fire with assault rifles through its window at customers at a bar in central Paris. The car was later found abandoned in Paris suburb of Montreuil, with three AK-47 rifles in it.
A shootout at Saint-Denis began around 4:25 in Saint-Denis as part of an anti-terrorist police operation near the Stade de France.
A witness heard a "big boom" and "exchange of fire that lasted a dozen minutes." A security perimeter has been deployed in the surroundings of the place Jean-Jaurès.
The Anti-Terrorism Sub-Directorate of the Judicial Police intervened assisted the police intervention Raid, a source close to the investigation.
This is the ninth man wanted Friday's attacks that is targeted and is entrenched in a building with accomplices, according to Jean-Alphonse Richard RTL police-justice service. The assault is underway with very large police resources are there, there are policemen injured.
The police were conducting searches in the area of Saint-Denis. The security forces have been received by several shots. They identified the address of a base for terrorists.
As CBS12 reports, [14]
[14]There are multiple reports of heavy gunfire and possible explosions in the Saint-Denis area of Paris, CNN affiliate BFMTV is reporting.
Swarms of police have an area of Saint-Denis blocked off and residents are being told to stay inside.
French journalists are reporting this may be connected to a police raid in search of wanted fugitive in connection to the Paris attacks.
CNN and AFP are reporting officers have been shot.
The gunfire erupted around 4:30 a.m.
The Guardian adds, What we know so far... [15]
“Heavy gunfire” has been reported in St Denis, a northern Paris suburb. St Denis is where the Stade de France, one of the targets of Friday’s attacks, is located.
Shooting took place during a police operation reported to be linked to the search for the so-called “ninth attacker” – believed to be on the run.
Some local media reports that a number of police officers have been injured in the operation; this has not been confirmed.
Roads have been closed off and the police operation appears to be ongoing, with large numbers of police officers and police vehicles in the area.
* * *
French #RAID [16] commandos in a huge firefight with terrorists in Saint Denis suburb of Paris. pic.twitter.com/N4mmPAkf11 [17]
— Jeff Gauvin (@JeffersonObama) November 18, 2015 [18]
Bon c'est sur c'est une intervention de la police... rue barrée, officiers etc.. #SaintDenis [5] pic.twitter.com/JSARgbaM9w [19]
— Female Khal (@Chelmih) November 18, 2015 [20]
Ça reprend! pic.twitter.com/S6vlFICu2z [21]
— STOPdaech (@STOPdaech) November 18, 2015 [22]
