France, and the world, woke today to the blood-drenched reality of a new form of jihadist terror: simultaneous gun and bomb attacks on multiple and random civilian targets.
At least 127 people – including eight attackers – died in seven coordinated, suicide attacks on a rock music venue, bars, restaurants and the Stade de France sports stadium in the Paris area on Friday night.
The single greatest scene of carnage was the Bataclan concert hall in eastern Paris – close to the scene of January’s Charlie Hebdo massacre – where 81 people were shot dead in cold blood and scores more were seriously injured.
The four attackers, wearing no masks and described by eye-witnesses as “very young” – died when police stormed the concert hall in the early hours. Three of the gunmen blew themselves up and one was shot by police. Another attacker died when he detonated his explosive belt in a nearby avenue.
Despite the scale of the bloodshed – described by President Francois Hollande as an “abomination” and an "act of barbarism” – it became clear this morning that France had narrowly escaped even greater loss of life.
Three suicide bombers blew themselves near bars close to the Stade de France sport stadium during a France v Germany friendly football match at about 9.20pm local time. Apart from the bombers themselves, “only” two people died in the explosions.
Simultaneously, two teams of gunmen toured bars and restaurants in the 10th and 11th arrondissements of eastern Paris spraying automatic weapons fire into crowded terraces of diners and drinkers on an unseasonably mild November evening. The teams of gunmen then appear to have joined forces to attack the nearby Bataclan concert hall, firing at random into a packed crowd of mostly young people watching an American blues band.
Witnesses said the attackers had shouted “Allah Akbar” (God is Great) and slogans about Iraq and Syria before firing into the panicking crowd. Some of the victims are believed to have been trampled to death.
Many hostages were taken – and, according to unconfirmed eye-witness reports, some were executed by the attackers – before police stormed the building soon after 1am.
French authorrities gave a “proivisional death toll” this morning of 127 dead, including the eight terrorists. Another 180 were injured including 80 who were said to be in a “critical” condition.
Of these, 19 died when the gunmen poured automatic fire into cafes and restaurants on the Rue de Charonne. Thirteen Friday-night revellers were murdered on the Rue Bichat and five on the Avenue de la Republique.
In a TV address to the nation last night, President Hollande said France would be “merciless” in “leading the fight” against jihadist terrorism
He said France would declare a state of emergency and close its frontiers – but the shutting of borders had not yet been implemented by mid-morning. All public buildings, markets, schools and universities in Paris were closed today. All sporting events in the Paris area were cancelled.
