Three gunman attack on staff at Charlie Hebdo magazine kills 12
Paris: Twelve people including eight journalists, have been killed and further 10 others injured – 4 critical in an apparent Islamic attack by three masked gunmen at the offices of the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo while their daily editorial meeting. Four of the magazine’s famous cartoonists, including its editor, were among those killed, as well as two police officers. A major police operation is under way to find three masked gunmen who fled by car. According to Eyewitnesses about 50 shots have been fired by the attackers both inside the Charlie Hebdo office and on the streets outside.
The masked attackers opened fire with assault rifles in the office and exchanged shots with police in the street outside. They subsequently abandoned their getaway car in Rue de Meaux, northern Paris, where they hijacked a second car. Witnesses said they heard the gunmen shouting “We have avenged the Prophet Muhammad” and “God is Great” in Arabic (“Allahu Akbar”).
According to the French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, Paris has been placed on the highest alert and security services were hunting three “criminals”. This is a attack on Freedom of speech and expression.
Charlie Hebdo editor Stephane Charbonnier, 47, who was under police protection after he had received death threats in the past.
French media have named the three other cartoonists killed in the attack as Cabu, Tignous and Wolinski, as well as Charlie Hebdo contributor and French economist Bernard Maris and Bernard Verlhac.
The satirical weekly created controversy in the past with its cheeky take on news and current affairs, and it was firebombed back in November 2011 a day after it carried a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad.
The gunmen were captured on amateur video shooting one injured police officer at point blank range in the head on the pavement outside.
President Francois Hollande called it a “cowardly murder” and declared a day of national mourning on Thursday. These killings have been condemned by leaders worldwide.
The Queen has released a statement offering her thoughts to those affected by the murders.
In a tweet, the Monarch said “she and Prince Philip send their prayers to Paris”.
The Queen has sent this message to @fhollande and the people of France following the attack inParis today pic.twitter.com/ohqvDEQhTj
— BritishMonarchy (@BritishMonarchy) January 7, 2015
The US President Barack Obama offering to help France track down those responsible.
Protests over the killings are being held in cities across France. It is the country’s deadliest attack in decades.
The Liberation newspaper reported that the masked gunmen who committed this crime forced a secretary to take them to the journalists at Charlie Hebdo. The newspaper further claims that at around 11am this morning, three masked men arrived outside the building in Paris at which point two of them entered the lobby and threatened an employee. Once they reached where the editor was they began their massacre.