Belgium arrests suspects linked to Paris terrorist attacks as toll goes up to 129
AMN /
An Annoyed France President Francois Hollande on Saturday vowed a “merciless” response to a wave of attacks by gunmen and bombers that killed 129 people across Paris, describing the assault claimed by Islamic State as an act of war against France.
“Faced with war, the country must take appropriate action,” Hollande said after an emergency meeting of security chiefs. He also announced three days of national mourning.
“France will be merciless towards these barbarians from Daesh,” he said, using an Arab acronym for Islamic State.
In the worst attack, a Paris city hall official said four gunmen systematically killed at least 87 young people at a rock concert at the Bataclan concert hall before anti-terrorist commandos launched an assault on the building. Dozens of survivors were rescued, and bodies were still being recovered on Saturday morning.
Some 40 more people were killed in five other attacks in the Paris region, the official said, including an apparent double suicide bombing outside the Stade de France national stadium, where Hollande and the German foreign minister were watching a friendly soccer international.
The assaults came as France, a founder member of the U.S.-led coalition waging air strikes against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, was on high alert for terrorist attacks.
It was the worst such attack in Europe since the Madrid train bombings of 2004, in which 191 died.
Meanwhile, French President Francois Hollande cancelled his participation at G20 meeting tomorrow in Turkey following the deadly attacks in Pari.
A diplomatic source said Finance Minister Michel Sapin and Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, will attend the G20 meeting.
World leaders led by UN Secretary-General today expressed shock and outrage over a wave of bombings and shootings in Paris that left atleast 128 people dead and pledged solidarity with France.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council condemned the “despicable” terrorist attacks. Ban said he trusts that the French authorities will do all in their power to bring the perpetrators to justice quickly.
US President Barack Obama called the attacks an outrageous attempt to terrorise innocent civilians. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was deeply shaken by the news.
British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was “shocked” by the Paris attacks and violence.
China strongly condemned the attacks, saying it is greatly shocked by the terrorist attacks that has caused massive casualties.
Russian President Vladimir Putin offered condolences and support to his counterpart Hollande and the French people.
President, Vice President Prime Minister and other senior leaders of the country have condemned the terror attack in French capital Paris.
Meanwhile the Belgian prosecutor’s office opened an anti-terrorism investigation Saturday into the Paris attacks that killed 129 people following arrests in a Brussels neighbourhood.
The investigations are linked to a car hired in Belgium and subsequently found near the Bataclan concert hall where 89 people were killed by terrorists in Paris on Friday, the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
Several people were arrested in the Molenbeek neighbourhood of Brussels during police raids connected to the Paris attacks, said Belgian Justice Minister Koen Geens.
The media reported that at least five people were arrested during the raids, but the number was not officially confirmed.