http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30710883Gunmen have attacked the Paris office of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, killing 11 people and injuring 10, French officials say.
Witnesses spoke of sustained gunfire at the office as the attackers opened fire with assault rifles before escaping.
Police have launched a major operation in the Paris area in their hunt for the attackers.
Charlie’s latest tweet was a cartoon of the Islamic State militant group leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
The satirical weekly has courted controversy in the past with its irreverent take on news and current affairs.
The magazine was fire-bombed in November 2011 a day after it carried a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad.
President Francois Hollande is at the scene and is planning to hold an emergency cabinet meeting.
‘Black-hooded men’ Two of those killed are police officers, France’s AFP news agency reports, and five of those wounded are critically injured.
An eyewitness, Benoit Bringer, told French TV channel Itele: "Two black-hooded men entered the building with Kalashnikovs.
“A few minutes later we heard lots of shots.”
The men were then seen fleeing the building.
“It’s carnage,” French police official Luc Poignant told another French channel, BFMTV.
Police have warned French media to be on alert and pay attention to security following the attack.
](Charlie Hebdo: Gun attack on French magazine kills 12 - BBC News)
PARIS: At least 11 people were killed in a shooting at the Paris offices of Charlie Hebdo, a satirical newspaper firebombed in the past after publishing cartoons joking about Muslim leaders, French TV channel iTELE reported.
France Info radio also said police had confirmed a toll of 11 dead and 10 injured. Police informed Reuters that of the 10 wounded, five were injured critically. The news channel quoted a witness as saying he saw the incident from a building nearby in the heart of the French capital. The Telegraph quoted a broadcast journalist with Europe1 News as saying, “Several men in black cagoules were heard to shout ‘the Prophet has been avenged’.”
“About a half an hour ago two black-hooded men entered the building with Kalashnikovs (guns),” Benoit Bringer told the station. “A few minutes later we heard lots of shots,” he said, adding that the men were then seen fleeing the building.
A police official, Luc Poignant, said he was aware of one journalist dead and several injured, including three police officers.
“It’s carnage,” Poignant told BFM TV.
A firebomb attack gutted the headquarters of Charlie Hebdo in November 2011 after it put an image of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) on its cover.
Really horrible and sad incident. What sort of idiots are around. The latest tweet on Charlie Hebdo’s account was a cartoon of the Islamic State militant group leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
The latest tweet on Charlie Hebdo's account was a cartoon of the Islamic State militant group leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
I have to say, this was actually a pretty smart cartoon. It shows Baghdadi giving a speech in a mosque in which he's saying "And above all, healthcare!".
How come such an attack take place in broad day light in a city like Paris,where security should have been on high alert,after reports that many French nationals are fighting for ISIS in the Middle East and France is a country where intelligence agencies have a tight control?
Very sad. European Muslims must deal with radial elements and fight them. Btw, there is already huge anti Muslim feelings in EU and things are only going to get worse.
Btw, there is already huge anti Muslim feelings in EU and things are only going to get worse.
I am very worried for this. Until Muslims in Europe are willing to have an honest and truthful debate, based on facts, about this, solution will not come about. There should be no room for ambiguity, only clear cut stance against violence, injustice and intolerance. Any form for violence and injustice on basis of religion should be deemed as completely and utterly wrong. No ifs and buts, just say violence is wrong. There are too many who don't take a clear cut stance, and try to justify it one way or another.
The Qur’an says to the Prophet Muhammad, God’s peace and blessings be upon him, “It is a mercy from your Lord that you are so gentle toward them. If you had been harsh and hard-hearted, people would have fled from your presence” (3:159). ]
It is indeed the harshness and obstinacy of some overly zealous Muslims, combined with the absence of mercy in their hearts, which is driving people out of Islam and deterring others from considering or even respecting it. They are conducting themselves based upon some misguided adherence to their understanding of Islam. They are uncertain in themselves, and so they feel threatened by anyone who might differ with them; through fanaticism, they attempt to protect themselves from doubt but result in only obscuring their view. Fanatics are blinded by the light of God as opposed to guided by it.
The Prophet, God’s peace and blessings be upon him, warned of these people when he said, “Perish they who go to extremes.” We should try our utmost not to be one of them.
All these morons accomplished was propelling a small, vile, irrelevant tabloid to an ideological icon for the Western world. This "paper" had a circulation of 45,000, and was probably unheard of outside of France.
The policeman who's execution by the terrorists as he begged for mercy was caught on camera during the attack was Ahmed Merabet, who's name suggests was an Arab Muslim.
