Biodun Iginla, BBC News

Biodun Iginla, BBC News

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Paris attacks: Abdelhamid Abaaoud 'died in Saint Denis raid'

by Isabelle Roussel and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, Paris

1 minute ago


The suspected ringleader of the Paris attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, has been identified as one of those killed in Tuesday's raid in the suburb of Saint Denis, the Paris prosecutor says.
His body was found riddled with bullets and shrapnel in the shattered apartment in the northern suburb.
The Belgian national, 28, was identified from his fingerprints.
Friday's gun and suicide bomb attacks in the French capital left 129 people dead and hundreds injured.
Eight people were arrested and at least two killed in the raid on the property in Saint Denis.
Heavily armed police stormed the building after a tip-off that Abaaoud was in Paris.
A body is removed from the apartment raided by French Police special forces in the northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis (November 18, 2015)Image copyright AFP
Image caption At least two bodies were removed from the apartment in Saint Denis on Wednesday
A woman at the flat - reported in French media to be Abaaoud's cousin - died during the raid after activating a suicide vest.
The prosecutor's office said it was still unclear whether Abaaoud had blown himself up or not.
Investigators are still looking for another suspect, Salah Abdeslam, who is believed to have travelled to Belgium after the attacks on Friday night.
The BBC's Hugh Schofield in Paris says the identification of Abaaoud raises serious questions for security services.
He was high on French and Belgian wanted lists and yet managed to travel from Syria to the heart of Paris without ever leaving a trace.
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More on the Paris attacks

Special report: In-depth coverage of the attacks and their aftermath
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Earlier on Thursday, Belgian police raided properties linked to Salah Abdeslam and fellow suspected attacker Bilal Hadfi, who was killed on Friday outside the Stade de France stadium.
Several raids took place in and around Brussels, and one person had been detained, Belgian prosecutors said.
French PM Manuel Valls warned that France could face chemical or biological attack from terror groups, as deputies voted to extend the state of emergency imposed after the attacks for another three months from 26 November.

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