What you need to know about Paris attacks and the situation in France (2024)

This article was originally published on November 14, 2015.

What happened during the Paris attacks?

Six coordinated attacks were carried out in Paris and Saint-Denis (north suburb, just outside Paris), starting at 9:20 pm, on Friday, November 13, by three groups of gunmen.

At least 129 deaths have been confirmed. 352 were injured, 99 of them very seriously. 7 attackers were killed, 6 of them after detonating bombs they were carrying. On Saturday, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for all these attacks.

What is happening right now in France?

French President, Francois Hollande, declared a state of emergency and three days of national mourning. Border controls have been reinforced, and security has been reinforced in both Paris airports (Charles-de-Gaule and Orly). If you are flying from, to or through France, Saturday and the next few days, expect delays as there will probably be additional waiting time for controls.

In Paris, the police recommends people to remain indoors if possible this weekend, though there was no specific new threat.1.500 soldiers were called to ensure security on the streets of Paris. Demonstrations and public gathering in Paris and the suburb (Hauts-de-Seine (92), Seine-Saint-Denis (93), Val-de-Marne (94)) are banned until Thursday, 19^th. Emergency measures are running through Paris public hospitals from " L'Assistance publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) ".

Opened: Paris subway is running normally. The French railways confirmed that all trains are leaving as scheduled, with extra security measures in the stations.

Closed: the Louvre museum closed its doors later Saturday morning. Many stores and shopping malls did not open on Saturday morning, including Le Printemps, Galeries Lafayette, Les Halles, Tati and Le Bon Marché, along with several clothing and luxury retail chains like Vuitton, Gucci, H&M, Etam and Sephora. Christmas markets in Paris will be closed for at least five days. Disneyland in Marne-la-Vallée and Parc Asterix are closed, as well as most of Paris theaters. All schools and universities were closed for the week-end, as a precautionary measure.

What happened at Le Bataclan?

The worst attack of Friday night took place at Le Bataclan, a famous concert hall, close to Republique square, during a concert by the American rock band Eagles of Death Metal. Around 9:30 pm, four attackers entered the building and started shooting randomly with automatic weapons. Inside and outside Le Bataclan, 89 people were reported killed, more than one hundred seriously injured. It took the police almost three hours to retake control of the building. The final assault took place after midnight. Four attackers were killed, one shot by police, three by detonated the explosive devices they were carrying. One policeman was wounded.

What happened at the Stade de France?

Between 9:20 and 9:53 pm, three explosions occurred in Saint-Denis, a suburb town north of Paris, just outside the Stade de France, Paris main sports arena, during an international soccer (soccer) match - France was playing Germany. Three attackers detonated explosive belts they were wearing, killing one person, and themselves. President François Hollande was in the stadium, watching the game. He was safely evacuated. Hundreds of people spilled onto the field of the Stade de France stadium, before being evacuated.

What happened elsewhere in Paris?

Five other locations were hit, all in an eastern district of Paris city center, known for its nightlife, especially on Friday nights. Between 9:25 pm and 9: pm, four bars and restaurants of the 10^th and 11^th arrondissem*nts were successively targeted by attackers armed with automatic weapons. Many customers were sitting on the sidewalk terraces, enjoying the mild weather. At least 30 people were killed, many more injured.

The investigation

Most of the victims have been identified. Among them, many foreign nationals: 3 Belgians, 3 Chileans, 2 Mexicans (one with dual US-Mexican citizenship), one Briton, one Spaniard, and an American student from Cal State Long Beach, who was studying in Paris through an exchange program.

Of the 7 attackers who died at the scene, three have been officially identified. One of the gunmen who died in the Bataclan concert hall was Ismaël Omar Mostefaï, 29, a French citizen born in Courcouronnes (south suburb of Paris), who lived in Chartres(90 km southwest of Paris). Mostefai had a small criminal record, for trivial offenses, but was never in prison. He was, however, listed in a special " state security" police file, as a radical Islamist. He probably spent several months in Syria, during the winter of 2013-2014. On Saturday, seven of his friends and family members have been arrested for interrogation.

The man who denonated a bomb on the boulevard Voltaire, killing only himself, was Brahim Andelsam, 31, a French national.

In St Denis, near the Stade de France, a Syrian passport was found at the site of one of the blasts caused by a suicide bomber.

A car used by the gunmen who attacked the bars and restaurants, a small Seat sedan, was identified thanks to video footage from surveillance cameras, and found abandoned In Montreuil (eastern suburb, close to Paris). It contained several automatic weapons.

Another car, a black Volkswagen Polo, was found near the Bataclan concert hall, where the worst massacre took place. It contained parking tickets from Molenbeek-St-Jean, a suburb town near Brussels, Belgium, known as a stronghold of Islamist radicalism.

The Belgian connection

In Belgium, at least five suspects were arrested in direct connection with the Paris attacks following a judicial request from France. Among them, Mohammed Abdeslam, a French national and a brother of Brahim Abdeslam, one of the Paris suicide bomber. A third brother of the Abdeslam famiy, Salah, may be one of the killers of the Paris attacks. He is still at large, possibly in Belgium, and actively sought by police.

The Belgian authorities have officially launched an "anti-terrorist" investigation.

Life in Paris

In spite of the state of emergency, which prohibits public gatherings, many Parisians and visitors came to the sites of the attacks on Saturday and Sunday, to pay tribute to the dead, lay flowers and light candles. Sunday night, a false rumor about gunshots in the neighborhood led to a brief moment of panic in the crowd.

Gatherings also took place in most French cities around the country.

Due to the large number of injured, Paris hospital staff have been commandeered until further notice.

Paris schools and universities, which have been closed during the weekend due to the attacks, reopened on Monday, November 16.

Street markets will remain closed until Thursday, November 19.