French police report shootout and explosion in Paris

LATEST:

9.25am - Paris prosecutor says 5 attackers may be dead in attacks across city.

9.20am - Gunmen who stormed a Paris concert hall killing several people and taking hostages have been killed, French President Francois Hollande said, adding that France would be ruthless against those who carried out the attacks.
"The terrorists who were not far from here were killed," Hollande said on television after visiting a security command centre near the Bataclan concert hall where the gunmen held  people hostage before an assault by security forces.

9.00am - The French president has formally declared the state of emergency on all mainland territory and Corsica during a Cabinet meeting urgently summoned at the Elysee palace. 

Management for the American rock band Eagles of Death Metal, scheduled to perform last night at a Paris venue where at least 100 people were killed, say they are ``trying to determine the safety and whereabouts'' of the band and its crew.

8.25am - A French police official says top government officials including President Francois Hollande were headed to the Bataclan concert hall where hostages were taken.
Another official said at least 100 people died inside the hall. A police assault on the venue finished early this morning, leaving at least two attackers dead, officials said. 

France's foreign ministry said airports in the country would remain open and flights and rail services would continue despite co-ordinated attacks across Paris.

8.10am - One official described "carnage" inside the building, saying the attackers had tossed explosives at the hostages. Officials said they expected the toll of victims to rise.

Attacker in Paris concert hall shouted 'Allahu akbar', fired into crowd, witness says.

7.55am - French BTM TV reports police operation at Bataclan concert venue over, two attackers killed. Reuters.

7.50am - A series of explosions and gunshots were heard around the Paris Bataclan concert hall where hostages were being held on Friday, two Reuters witness at the scene said. French President Francois Hollande said earlier that an assault was underway after a spate of attacks across the French capital. Reuters witnesses heard five successive explosions followed by gunshots.

7.35am - Explosions heard at Bataclan Music Hall where hostages held. Police assault under way, says French president.

7.25am - Automatic gunfire heard from outside Paris concert hall where attackers holding hostage. Some Paris Metro lines closed.

7.05am - President Barack Obama is calling the attacks on Paris "outrageous attempt to terrorize innocent civilians'' and is vowing to do whatever it takes to help bring the perpetrators to justice. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Obama said he would not speculate about who was responsible. He called the attacks a "heartbreaking situation'' and an ``attack on all of humanity''.

7.00am - French president declares state of emergency for all of France. Borders closed.

6.45am - Europe1 Radio reports another shooting at Central Les Halles Shopping Mall in Paris

6.35am - It is unclear whether there was a link in any of the violence to terrorism but French media reported that Kalashnikov rifles were involved in the shootings - a favored weapon of militants who have attacked targets in France - and that many rounds were fired.
The shootings occurred near the former headquarters of Charlie Hebdo, the satirical newspaper where shootings in January traumatized France.
The explosion that occurred during a France-Germany soccer match.stadium forced the hasty evacuation of President Franois Hollande. NYT

6.20am - People are being held hostage at the Bataclan concert hall in central Paris after several shots were fired, French news channel BFM TV reported on Friday.
Shooting at the Bataclan began one hour into the concert of a California rock group called Eagles of Death Metal, BFM TV said, adding that one or two people came in and began shooting in the air. REUTERS

A Paris police official said there were at least 100 hostages in a Paris theater following shooting and explosions at two cites in the city. 

Multiple officials, including one medical official, put the number of dead at between 35 to 40 people. AP

6.15am - French media are reporting at least 30 people died in the violence around Paris. An Associated Press report said French police claim Friday's shootings and explosions to be the deadliest violence France has seen in decades.

According to the Associated Press, one of the police officials said 11 people were killed in a Paris restaurant in the 10th arrondissement and about 15 killed in the Bataclan theater, where a hostage-taking is under way.

US Homeland Security Department officials monitoring the attacks in Paris say there is no known, credible threat against the United States.
 

6.00am - BFM TV reports there is a hostage situation at the Paris Bataclan Concert Place.

PARIS — Police officials in France say there has been a shootout in a Paris restaurant and an explosion in a bar near a Paris stadium.

BFM television says there were several dead in the restaurant shooting in the 10th arrondissement of the capital. Two police officials confirmed the shooting but had no information about casualties.

Also late yesterday (Nov 13), two explosions were heard outside the Stade de France stadium north of Paris during a France-Germany friendly football match. It was unclear if the events were linked.

A police official confirmed one explosion in a bar near the stadium. It is unclear whether there are casualties.

An Associated Press reporter in the stadium last night heard two explosions loud enough to penetrate the sounds of cheering fans. Sirens were immediately heard, and a helicopter was circling overhead.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to be publicly named.

An official in Francois Hollande's office told The Associated Press that the French president is meeting with top security officials in the Interior Ministry.

The official gave no other details. The official was not authorized to be publicly named. AP