Live! Paris attacks: Identifications and arrests start piling up

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Sun, 15 November 2015

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22:05 Paris attacks: Identifications and arrests start piling up

Two days after the deadly coordinated terrorist attacks on Paris left at least 129 people dead and 352 injured, officials have begun to put together a picture of those responsible, and the arrests being made across Europe related to the attacks as well as the identity of those responsible are slowly being made public.

France has been in an official state of mourning since the attacks, with the Eiffel Tower going dark and President Francois Hollande vowing that France would wage "merciless" war on the Islamic State, which claimed responsibility for the mayhem, as investigators raced to track down their accomplices and uncovered possible links to networks in Belgium, Germany and Syria.

A U.S. law enforcement source told CBS News senior investigative producer Pat Milton there were eight attackers, seven of whom are dead, with one still at-large. The source said the possible identifies of three of the deceased terrorist suspects are: Ahmad al-Mohammad, born 1990, and from Enid Syria; Ismail Mostefai, whose father Mohammad Mostesari is a French citizen; and Yousef Salahel, born 1988 in Egypt.

The source said the possible identity of the terrorist suspect at large is Salah Abdeslam. He apparently rented the car with Belgium tags that has become a focus of the investigation.

Read more HERE.

A suspected ISI agent, arrested from central Kolkata, was today remanded in police custody for 14 days by a city court.

Magistrate Edel Lamasa granted the prosecution's plea of "full term police custody" (14 days) for 51-year-old Akhtar Khan.

The Special Task Force unit of Kolkata Police had yesterday arrested Khan from the central part of the city for his alleged links with Pakistan's ISI.

Khan has been booked under IPC sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging or attempting to wage war or abetting waging of war against the Government of India), 121A (conspiracy to commit offences punishable by section 121), 122

(collecting arms etc with intention of waging war against the

Government of India), 489B (using as genuine forged or

counterfeit currency notes or bank notes) and 489C (possession

of forged or counterfeit currency-notes or bank-notes).

According to a highly-placed STF source, during the

preliminary investigation, it had emerged that Khan alias

Mohammed Javed alias Raju was a resident of Collin Street and

also has another address at Topsia Road.

The latest terrorist attacks in Paris serve as a grim reminder that the threat of global terrorism is unlikely to end until the resolution of the civil war of ideas between Muslim modernisers and those adhering to an outmoded theology of Islamic dominance.

Just as the post-9/11 war against al-Qaeda degraded Osama bin Ladens group but gave rise to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isil), extremist Islamist ideology will likely give birth to Terrorism 3.0 once the world has fought, contained and eliminated Isil. Security will return only after the widespread embrace of pluralism by Muslims and the defeat and marginalisation of the idea that Muslims cannot move in an orbit set by another.

Read more HERE.

Several AK47 rifles of the sort used during the attacks in Paris were found in the black Seat abandoned in an eastern suburb of the capital, a judicial source said today.

Witnesses have said the car, found in Montreuil, was used by attackers at multiple locations on Friday night.

Some 19 people were killed when gunmen opened fire at a restaurant in eastern Paris, with a witness saying they fired from the back of a black Seat.

Another 89 people were killed when black-clad gunmen stormed a Paris concert hall, with police saying they had also opened fire with AK-47s.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has proposed 7-point agenda on Climate Change; calls for target date before 2030 to reduce high costs of transferring

remittances.

The agenda can be read HERE and HERE.

Petrol was made more expensive by 36 paise per litre on Sunday while diesel prices were raised by 87 paise per litre. Revised prices will take effect from the midnight of November 15 and 16.

After the upward revision of Rs. 0.36 /litre at Delhi (including State levies), the price of petrol in the national capital will become Rs. 61.06 per litre, Indian Oil Corporation said.

Petrol prices were last revised on October 31 when the fuel was made cheaper by 50 paise per litre while diesel rates were kept unchanged.

The government earlier this month hiked excise duty on the fuels to mop up additional revenue in order to meet budgetary targets. Excise duty on petrol was raised by Rs 1.60 per litre while that on diesel was increased by 40 paise a litre.

Read more HERE.

The easing of FDI norms by the Modi government in 15 key sectors faced objections from a second RSS affiliate today with Swadeshi Jagran Manch expressing anguish and demanding that it be put on hold.

The SJM also accused the government of acting in haste in the matter.

It demanded a white paper detailing the benefits and drawbacks of FDI and said a commission comprising stakeholders should first be set up to examine the issue.

The Manch said that government's 'Make in India' initiative should be more of 'Made by India'.

"SJM believes that the present decision of the government to ease FDI norms for major sectors of the economy has been taken in a hurried manner and without going into the pros and cons of the decision.

"SJM demands that these decisions be put on hold and a commission is constituted taking all stakeholders on board while instituting a comprehensive study to estimate loss to the economy," Ashwani Mahajan, All India Co-Convener of the Manch, told PTI.

17:25 Death toll in China's landslide mounts to 21

The death toll in a landslide that hit a village in east China's Zhejiang province has risen to 21 with 16 people still missing, officials said today.

Only one person has been rescued so far after the landslide hit Lishui City in Lidong village on Friday night.

Torrents of mud and rocks buried 27 homes in the village and flooded 21 houses.

Lishui's deputy mayor Mao Zirong said torrents of mud unleashed by heavy rains formed a small barrier lake at the site, hampering rescue efforts.

The local government has dispatched 52 teams comprising more than 620 people to investigate the site in case of any further disasters, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

"We have sent a team of 35 professional psychologists to provide psychological intervention for the family members of the victims," Yang Xiuqing, head of Liandu District said.

More than 2,300 rescuers, along with 7 sniffer dogs, are helping with rescue work.

17:04 US airstrike in Libya kills ISIS leader

The US military on Friday killed the senior ISIS leader in Libya, the Pentagon said.

Abu Nabil, an Iraqi national and longtime al Qaeda operative, was taken out in an airstrike authorized and initiated prior to the terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday night, said Pentagon Press Secretary Peter Cook.

"While not the first US strike against terrorists in Libya, this is the first US strike against an ISIL leader in Libya and it demonstrates we will go after ISIL leaders wherever they operate," Cook said.

Nabil -- also known as Wissam Najm Abd Zayd al Zubaydi -- may also have been the terror group spokesman who appeared in a February video showing the execution on a beach by ISIS of Coptic Christians who had been taken prisoner.

Cook said Nabil's death will degrade ISIS's ability to recruit new members in Libya, establish bases in the country, and plan external attacks on the United States.

Read more HERE.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today termed the BRICS as 'Building Responsive, Inclusive and Collective Solutions', which will be the theme of the 5-nation group when India assumes its presidency next year.

"The theme of India's BRICS Chairmanship will be 'Building Responsive, Inclusive and Collective Solutions' which, in short, will be 'BRICS'. It aptly describes the ethos of our group," he said at the BRICS Summit on the sidelines of the two-day G20 Summit here.

A Goldman Sachs' economist had coined the BRIC acronym to represent world's four main emerging economic powers -- Brazil, Russia, India and China. In 2011, another major emerging economy South Africa joined the group and 'BRIC' became 'BRICS'. India will take over chairmanship from Russia, which heads the group at present.

Jihadi John, the dreaded Islamic State executioner killed in a US drone strike in Syria last week, reportedly fathered a son who is automatically entitled to British citizenship.

Mohammed Emwazi, also known as Jihadi John, was "evaporated" by a Hellfire missile fired from a US Reaper drone after British intelligence analysts located him in the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) headquarters of Raqqa.

Kuwait-born British citizen Jihadi John secretly fathered a son who is automatically entitled to British citizenship and could be brought to live in the UK, The Telegraph reported.

It has emerged that the Home Office will be powerless to stop Jihadi John's Syria-born son coming to live in Britain at some point in the future, the report said.

The identity and nationality of the boy's mother is not known, but Home Office rules make it clear that he is already regarded as British, stating, "British citizenship may descend to one generation born abroad. So a child born abroad to a parent who is British...will automatically be British by

descent."

"We stand united in strongly condemning the dreadful attacks in Paris," PM Modi speaks at BRICS in Turkey.

"Entire humanity must stand together and be one against terrorism," PM Narendra Modi at BRICS.

"Ankara & Beirut are also reminders of terror's growing spread and impact," he stated.

"The need for a united global effort to fight terrorism had never been more urgent. This must also be a priority for BRICS," the prime minister said.

"There was a time when the logic of BRICS and its lasting capacity were being questioned," PM Modi said.

"India attaches highest importance to BRICS," he said.

"Build responsive, inclusive and collective solutions. This will be the theme when India assumes presidency of BRICS," PM Modi added.

Four Turkish policemen have been injured in an explosion during a raid on a suspected Islamic State militants' hideout as G-20 leaders began to meet for a summit, Turkey's state-run agency said today.

The Anadolu Agency says police late yesterday raided a fifth-floor apartment believed to be used by an IS cell in Gaziantep city, near the Syrian border.

The agency said the explosion occurred as the policemen broke down the door without saying what caused it or if arrests were made.

The raid came hours after Turkish soldiers clashed with IS militants who fired at them near Gaziantep. Four militants were killed.

It was not clear if the two incidents were connected. G-20 leaders are meeting near the Mediterranean city of Antalya for a summit overshadowed by the Paris attacks.

Thousands of security personnel and high-tech surveillance systems dotted every nook and corner of this Turkish resort town as leaders of the world's 20 top economies, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, congregated

here for the two-day G20 Summit beginning today.

The heightened security measures, comprising of over 12,000 security personnel, drone detection equipments, 350 mobile cameras with license-plate recording and face-recognition systems, follow the audacious terror attacks in Paris Friday night.

Around 13,000 officials and 3,000 journalists from across the world are here for the 10th G-20 Summit, being held at the Regnum Carya Hotel Convention Center in the Belek town of Antalya's Serik district.

The town of Belek has been declared a high-security Red Zone area and a virtual no-go zone for the non-delegates.

Markets and shops around the venue have been shut and thousands of barricades and security personnel are deployed on alongside roads leading to the venue.

US presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton has said the Islamic State militant group must be defeated not contained, even as she asserted that the US was not at "war with Islam" but against violent extremism.

"I think that we have to look at ISIS as the leading threat of an international terror network. It cannot be contained, it must be defeated," Clinton, the leading Democratic presidential candidate, said during a Democratic presidential debate yesterday.

Her remarks came a day after the horrific terror attacks in Paris that claimed over 120 lives. The responsibility of the attacks has been claimed by ISIS.

With the carnage in Paris taking centre stage at the Democratic presidential debate, the three candidates -- Clinton, liberal Senator Bernie Sanders and former Maryland governor Martin O'Malley -- began their debate with a moment of silence for the victims in France.

"We are not at war with Islam," Clinton, the former secretary of state, said, adding that, "We are at war with violent extremism."

"The Dalai Lama's comments were uncalled for, it shows ignorance on his part," Subramanian Swamy said on Sunday referencing the Tibetan Buddhist leader's statement that the Bihar assembly election results were proof that the majority of Hindus were tolerant.

"India has a long tradition of peace and amity. The people of Bihar in the recent assembly polls have proved that a large section of the Hindu community still believes in peace and amity," the 14th Dalai Lama had said on Saturday without naming any political party or leader.

12:23 First attacker identified from Paris carnage

French police have identified the first of seven gunmen who killed at least 129 people in a wave of carnage claimed by the Islamic State group, as

international investigators stepped up their probes into Paris's worst ever attacks.

French authorities yesterday named the first attacker as 29-year-old Omar Ismail Mostefai, who was identified from a severed finger found at Bataclan concert hall, scene of the worst of the bloodshed.

IS jihadists said they were behind the gun and suicide attacks that left a trail of destruction at a sold-out concert hall, at restaurants and bars, and outside France's Stade de France national stadium.

President Francois Hollande called the coordinated assault on Friday night an "act of war" as the capital's normally bustling streets fell eerily quiet, 10 months after attacks on magazine Charlie Hebdo shocked the nation.

The European Union today called for a minute's silence to be held on Monday for the victims of a series of attacks in Paris in which at least 128 people were killed.

"We Europeans will all remember November 13th 2015 as a European day of mourning," an EU joint statement said.

"All Europeans are invited to join in one minute of silence in memory of the victims at noon on Monday, November 16th," the statement continued, referring to noon in Brussels, or 1100 GMT.

The attacks have triggered an outpouring of solidarity from European and other capitals, including several who have lit up national monuments in the blue, white and red of the French flag.

Two of the suicide bombers who caused carnage in the Paris massacre are thought to have sneaked into France by posing as refugees from Syria.

The disclosure, which came amid claims of French intelligence failures, inevitably raised new security concerns about Europes borders.

Police said the two men, who arrived in Greece last month, were among seven attackers, one as young as 15.

One of the attackers was last night named by French media as Mostefai Ismal Omar, 29, from Courcouronnes, in Essonne.

Serbian media last night reported that one of the terrorists was named as Ahmed Almuhamed.

The newspaper, Blic, said that 25-year-old Almuhamed arrived in Europe on the Greek island of Leros on October 3 on his way to Paris.

Read more HERE.

09:32 'First direct attack on music,' says Bono

Irish rock band U2's frontman Bono called Paris attack, that killed over 120 people, a first direct hit on music as many young concert-goers and fans were targeted.

The band, whose concert was supposed to take place Friday night was called off after a series of attacks in the French capital, and Bono said the whole incident was very disturbing, reported Variety.

"Our first thoughts at this point are with the Eagles of Death Metal fans. If you think about it, the majority of victims last night are music fans. This is the first direct hit on music that we've had in this so-called War on Terror, or whatever it's called. It's very upsetting.

"These are our people. This could be me at a show, you at a show, in that venue. It''s a very recognisable situation for you and for me and the coldblooded aspect of this slaughter is deeply disturbing and that's what I can't get out of my head," Bono, 55, said.

To ensure transparency, the government will soon allow foreign defence firms to appoint agents but the companies will have to upfront mention the "reasonable" remuneration to be paid and won't be allowed to dole out any bonus or success fees, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has said.

Drawing a distinction between agents and middlemen, he said the government will not leave room for any "hanky-panky".

"Agents do not mean middlemen. There will be scope for a company to appoint an agent to represent it or to get over technical difficulties by paying him or her reasonable fees which will have to be mentioned upfront," Parrikar told PTI in an interview.

He said that the new Defence Procurement Procedure, which is in the final stages of completion, will clearly define the role of agents.

Cattle smuggling and illegal infiltration are top on the agenda for the Indo-Bangla home secretary-level talks beginning tomorrow, which come close on the heels of deportation of ULFA leader Anup Chetia from the neighbouring country.

Union home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi is expected to raise the issue of cattle smuggling to Bangladesh with his counterpart Mohammad Haque Khan and seek cooperation from that country to completely halt it.

According to an official estimate, smuggling of cattle to Bangladesh has come down by more than 70 per cent, resulting in a sharp increase in the price of beef in Bangladesh.

US President Barack Obama has held a meeting with his national security team to review the security situation and intelligence information in the wake of the deadly attacks in France on Friday that were claimed by ISIS.

Obama held the meeting before his three-day Asia tour in which he will visit Turkey, Malaysia and Philippines. In Turkey, he will participate in the G-20 Leaders Summit.

Following the meeting, the White House said the team reviewed the intelligence picture, noting that the US had no information to contradict the initial French assessment of Islamic State responsibility.

The White House said the president's team briefed him on the latest intelligence surrounding the attacks, and while noting that there was no specific or credible threat to the US, reviewed the homeland security posture to ensure they were doing everything necessary to protect the American people.

Seven "terrorists" were killed in attacks that caused the deaths of at least 129 people in Paris and a Syrian passport was found on one of the assailants, the French capital's prosecutor said Saturday.

Prosecutor Francois Molins said the attackers had worked in three teams, striking seven times in quick succession on Friday night.

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.