Heavy gunfire and explosions were heard and officers have been injured during a police raid in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis, CNN reports.
Police are searching for suspects in Friday’s terror attacks in Paris. Terrorists affiliated with ISIS killed 129 people and injured 300 more in a coordinated attack on the French city.
The Paris prosecutor said in a statement that five suspects were arrested, three in the apartment and two others nearby. Three suspects were killed, French officials said, according to Agence France-Presse. Four police officers were injured during the raid. A police dog was killed, the BBC reports.
The suspects killed and arrested have not been identified.
One of the targets of the raid the man who is believed to have planned the Paris terror attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, AFP reports.
The raids began at about 4:30 a.m. Paris time, with gunshots and sirens still ringing out at 5:30 a.m., witnesses report. Several videos from the area have been posted to social media. Several more explosions and gunfire were heard at about 7:30 a.m. after the scene was quiet for about an hour. The raid was still ongoing as of 8 a.m. local time and at least one suspect may still be alive in the apartment.
Highly trained anti-terror police units and the French military are at the scene. Ambulances and firefighters are also there.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. A Woman Detonated a Suicide Vest During the Raid
French policemen patrol in the northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis city center. (Getty)
AFP is reporting that a woman detonated a suicide vest when police raided a building in Saint-Denis. A loud explosion was heard before gunfire rang out in the early morning hours, witnesses said.
Fait peur tout ça… ils referment le périmètre… #saintdenis #RAID
#BREAKING #France Shooting between police and several barricated men during police raid near #Paris t.co/9BSJb3YKcb @Enrique_Acevedo
The news agency reports two suspects were killed in the raid, including the suicide bomber.
2. Police Have Been Searching for 2
Police gather in Saint-Denis. (Getty)
Along with the alleged mastermind of the attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, who was targeted in the raid Wednesday, police are searching for two other suspects directly connected to the attacks, along with other conspirators.
French soldiers and members of police special forces talk together while standing guard in the northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis. (Getty)
Police sources told CNN that a ninth suspect was discovered to be missing after surveillance video showed that a team of three, previously sought to be a duo, attacked one of the locations Friday night. Seven suspects detonated suicide vests, killing themselves during the terror attacks.
Bon c’est sur c’est une intervention de la police… rue barrée, officiers etc.. #SaintDenis
#BREAKING happening right now Fusillade #SaintDenis #ParisAttacks Saint Dennis @Enrique_Acevedo
An eighth suspect, Saleh Abdeslam, is also on the run.
3. Saint-Denis Is North of Paris & Is Where the National Soccer Stadium Is Located
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Saint-Denis is about 20 minutes north of the center of Paris.
Dozens of police officers In flak jackets on the scene. Sealing off #paris suburb.
Fusillade saint denis centre. 4h30 du matin
It is the site of one of Friday’s terror attacks. Three suicide bombers detonated explosives outside of the national soccer stadium, Stade de France, killing one other person, who was waiting to enter the stadium to watch the country’s national team play Germany.
4. Roads Have Been Closed & Residents Have Been Asked to Stay Inside
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According to posts on social media by area residents and the Saint-Denis government, several roads have been shut down by police.
Une interv policière est en cours dans le centre de la ville. Consigne de sécu : ne pas sortir das les rues sur cette zone. Infos à suivre
Les rues de la république, cornillon, chaumettes sont bouclées en particulier #saint-denis
Some local residents are hiding in their homes, and have been told to stay inside.
Schools in the area directly impacted by the raid will be closed Wednesday, officials said.
5. Police Have Been Carrying Out Raids & Arresting Suspects in the Days After the Attacks
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Several people have been arrested in France, Belgium and Germany during raids in the wake of the Friday terror attacks. Some, including family members of the attackers, have since been released.
ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which the Associated Press reports were planned in Raqqa, Syria, the Islamic State’s stronghold.
Sources told the AP the attackers trained for the operation in Raqqa and then met with a sleeper cell in France after the training. At least 24 people were involved in the operation, the sources said. Several of the assailants, including Hadfi and the Abdeslam brothers, were living in Belgium, police say. Two of the cars used were rented there.
The 27-year-old leader of the group, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, believed to be the target of the raid Wednesday morning, had been in both Syria and Belgium. He is a Belgian citizen who has been linked to other terror plots.