Syrian passport at French attack scene belonged to asylum seeker

November 15, 2015 00:25

A Syrian passport found by police at the scene of the mass shooting in a Paris concert hall belonged to an asylum seeker who registered on a Greek island in October, a Greek minister said today.

"We confirm that the Syrian passport holder came through the Greek island of Leros on October 3 where he was registered under EU rules," said a statement issued by Nikos Toskas, the minister for citizen protection.

French police said the document was found "near the body of one of the attackers" in the investigation into the main attack of yesterday's carnage, at the Bataclan concert hall, where 82 people were killed.

The authenticity of the passport was being checked, but its discovery indicates a possible Syrian connection which was a working hypothesis for investigators after assailants hit six separate locations in Paris.

European security officials had long feared that jihadists could take advantage of the mass migration influx, mainly from war-torn Syria, that Europe has been experiencing since the beginning of the year.

A Greek police source on Saturday said Athens had forwarded to French authorities the fingerprints of the passport holder registered on Leros in October, to check whether he was actually involved in Friday's attacks.

« Back to LIVE

TOP STORIES

Will win by a bigger margin, says Brij Bhushan's son

Karan Bhushan rejects the charges against his father, saying the "allegations are political and made up. We will challenge them in court".

IPL 2024: Captain Pandya's form mirrors MI's woes

Hardik Pandya had a below-par season in IPL 2024, scoring 216 runs at an average of 18 and taking 11 wickets at an economy rate of 10.75.

Had packed my bags in April itself: Kohli on RCB's disastrous first half

Reflecting on RCB's disastrous first half of the tournament, star batter Virat Kohli admitted he had his 'bags packed in April' itself.

WB Guv molestation case: FIR against 3 Raj Bhavan officials

Under Article 361 of the Constitution, no criminal proceedings can be instituted against a governor during his term in office.

INDIA bloc slams Modi for 'Ram temple-bulldozer' claim

Kharge accused PM Modi of inciting people over the issues "that the Congress will never do".