Two days after a deadly shooting took place at the Paris headquarters of the French satirist magazine, Charlie Hebdo, unconfirmed reports indicate the three gunmen suspected of the shooting were killed in two separate police raids on Friday.
According to early reports from French media, standoffs with French authorities resulted in two hostage situations at different locations; a printing warehouse in Dammartin-en-Goele (a town about an hour north east of Paris), and a kosher market in porte de Vincennes inside Paris.
French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve confirmed the identities of two primary suspects: Cherif and Said Kouachi. The Associated Press reports that the third suspect's identity is Amedy Coulibaly.
The Kouachi brothers were traced to the printing warehouse and Coulibaly was identified as the kosher market shooter. A fourth suspect turned himself into French authorities several hours after the Wednesday shooting at the Charlie Hebdo office.
Conflicting reports have emerged regarding the number of casualties in the kosher market and whether or not hostages were killed. French ambassador to the U.S., Gérard Araud, indicated in multiple tweets that no hostages were harmed; however, the AFP tweeted:
#AFPpic.twitter.com/5ZlHxM2GbvJanuary 9, 2015
Reuters has also reported that at least four kosher market hostages were killed during the siege, but reports are not yet confirmed. One hostage was being held by the Kouachi brothers in Dammartin. According to the AFP, that hostage was freed.
A fifth individual is still suspected in connection with the shooters. Le Monde reports that a woman named Hayat Boumeddiene is wanted in connection with Amedy Coulibaly.
On Wednesday morning, three gunmen forcibly entered the Paris newsroom of french satirist magazine Charlie Hebdo, killing 12, including the paper’s editor, Stephan Charbonnier, according to the BBC. The gunmen were armed with AK-47 assault rifles and forced entry to the office building where the editorial staff was conducting its daily meeting.
Image: Twitter / Julien Rebucci