Updated: Coordinated Terror Attacks Devastates Paris; Hundreds Dead; Scores Injured; State of Emergency Declared
- Details
- Category: World News - Europe
- Published on Friday, 13 November 2015 22:32
- Written by Janet Walker
Parisians are waking this morning, Saturday, to the sickening news of yet another mass casualty terrorist attack that killed nearly two hundred and injured countless more plunging the nation into a State of Emergency and closing the borders.
The coordinated attacks, which centered in the 10th and 11th arrondissement, two of the City Zones, began at 9:16pm Friday night, when Parisians were enjoying the start of the weekend.
Lovers of leisure and fun, Parisians were dining out, attending concerts, sporting events, meeting new friends, enjoying the mid-November evening, ending the work week.
Then all hell broke loose. The first attack, a shooting, centered on Le Petit Cambodge restaurant, located in the 10th arrondissement. The unprovoked and indiscriminate attack killed nearly a dozen patrons.
The assailants, described as two men dressed in black commando gear, fled in black non descriptive leaving carnage and a reasonable assumption the night of terror was over. Unfortunately, it was just beginning.
President François Hollande was attending a soccer match at the Stade de France where the national team Le Bleus, were engaged in a bragging rights match between between neighboring Germany, Nationalelf, when a series of explosions detonated, by suicide bomber patrons, inside the stadium's official bar.
Reports on the extent of the casualty, in the Stade de France bombing, has been scaled back after the first announcement to three patrons dead, three terrorist died of self-detonation, and the extent of injuries are still unclear.
The blasts were heard live as the UEFA inter-country match was televised live in both nations.
All attendees, including President Hollande, were safely evacuated from the stadium.
In the hour that followed, five other attacks, including the siege of the historic Bataclan Theatre, rocked the country’s capital city.
The California based rock band, Eagles of Death Metal, were playing a sold out show, and had played about one hour into the three hour show when four heavily armed, commando dressed masked assailants entered the Bataclan.
The men stood in the balcony and opened fire massacring the concert-goes below.
Using automatic weapons the terrorists were merciless, determined, and as ruthless as Nazi SS Commandos.
After the initial attack, which survivors have reported went on for nearly ten minutes with the Islamic Fighters firing, anywhere from 600 to 950 rounds per minute, into the cornered, corralled concert goers.
Those who remained alive were taken hostage. Held in groups, the Islamic fighters tossed grenades into the crowds and systematically executed, without thought or concern those who survived the initial massacre.
The hostage situation at the Bataclan lasted nearly three hours ending just before 1:00am Saturday morning. More than 100 concert goers were killed in the theatre, 200 were injured; 80 were listed in serious condition.
The four Islamic fighters were killed; three by self-detonation of the suicide bombs belts they wore and one killed in the standoff with SWAT and Military teams.
Paris’ Night of Terror ended with 166 of its citizens paying the ultimate sacrifice to live free from tyranny.
This is a developing story.
