PARIS — The police organized an enormous manhunt across
the Paris region on Wednesday for three suspects they said were involved in a
brazen and methodical midday slaughter at a satirical newspaper that had
lampooned Islam.
The terrorist attack by masked gunmen on the
newspaper, Charlie
Hebdo, left 12 people dead — including the top editor, prominent cartoonists and
police officers — and was among the deadliest in postwar France. The killers
escaped, traumatizing the city and sending shock waves through Europe and
beyond.
Officials said late Wednesday that two of the suspects
were brothers. They were identified as Said and Chérif Kouachi, 34 and 32. The third suspect
is Hamyd Mourad, 18. News reports said the brothers, known to intelligence
services, had been born in Paris, raising the prospect that homegrown Muslim
extremists were responsible.
Early Thursday, a spokeswoman for the Paris prosecutor said that Mr. Mourad had walked into a police station in Charleville-Mézières, about 145 miles northeast of Paris, and surrendered.
People gathered to light candles
under large mirror panels on the Old Port of Marseille, in southern France. CreditAnne-Christine
Poujoulat/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
“He
introduced himself and was put in custody,” said the spokeswoman, Agnès
Thibault-Lecuivre.
The
assault threatened to deepen
the distrust of France’s large Muslim population, coming at a time
when Islamic radicalism has become a central concern of security officials
throughout Europe. In the space of a few minutes, the assault also crystallized
the culture clash between religious extremism and the West’s devotion to free
expression. Spontaneous rallies expressing support for Charlie Hebdo sprung up
later in the day in Paris, throughout Europe and in Union Square in New York.
Officials
and witnesses said at least two gunmen had carried out the attack with assault
weapons and military-style precision. President François Hollande of France
called it a display of extraordinary “barbarism” that was “without a doubt” an
act of terrorism. He declared Thursday a national day of mourning.
He also
raised the nationwide terror alert to its highest level, saying several
terrorist attacks had been thwarted in recent weeks as security officials here
and elsewhere in Europe have grown increasingly wary of the return of young
citizens from fighting in Syria and Iraq.
Chérif Kouachi, left, 32, and his
brother, Said Kouachi, 34, who are suspected in a deadly attack on a satirical
newspaper in Paris. CreditFrench Police
The
French authorities put some schools on lockdown for the day; added security at
houses of worship, news media offices and transportation centers; and conducted
random searches on the Paris Métro.
The
Paris prosecutor, François Molins, said that according to witnesses, the
attackers had screamed “Allahu akbar!” or “God is great!” during the attack,
which the police characterized as a “slaughter.
Corinne
Rey, a cartoonist known as Coco, who was at the newspaper office during the
attack, told Le Monde that the attackers had spoken fluent French and said that
they were part of Al Qaeda.
An
amateur video of the assailants’ subsequent gunfight with the police showed the
men shouting: “We have avenged the Prophet Muhammad. We have killed Charlie
Hebdo!” The video, the source of which could not be verified, also showed the
gunmen killing a police officer as he lay wounded on a nearby street.
People gathered to light candles
under large mirror panels on the Old Port of Marseille, in southern France. CreditAnne-Christine
Poujoulat/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
“He
introduced himself and was put in custody,” said the spokeswoman, Agnès
Thibault-Lecuivre.
The
assault threatened to deepen
the distrust of France’s large Muslim population, coming at a time
when Islamic radicalism has become a central concern of security officials
throughout Europe. In the space of a few minutes, the assault also crystallized
the culture clash between religious extremism and the West’s devotion to free
expression. Spontaneous rallies expressing support for Charlie Hebdo sprung up
later in the day in Paris, throughout Europe and in Union Square in New York.
Officials
and witnesses said at least two gunmen had carried out the attack with assault
weapons and military-style precision. President François Hollande of France
called it a display of extraordinary “barbarism” that was “without a doubt” an
act of terrorism. He declared Thursday a national day of mourning.
He also
raised the nationwide terror alert to its highest level, saying several
terrorist attacks had been thwarted in recent weeks as security officials here
and elsewhere in Europe have grown increasingly wary of the return of young
citizens from fighting in Syria and Iraq.
Chérif Kouachi, left, 32, and his
brother, Said Kouachi, 34, who are suspected in a deadly attack on a satirical
newspaper in Paris. CreditFrench Police
The
French authorities put some schools on lockdown for the day; added security at
houses of worship, news media offices and transportation centers; and conducted
random searches on the Paris Métro.
The
Paris prosecutor, François Molins, said that according to witnesses, the
attackers had screamed “Allahu akbar!” or “God is great!” during the attack,
which the police characterized as a “slaughter.
Corinne
Rey, a cartoonist known as Coco, who was at the newspaper office during the
attack, told Le Monde that the attackers had spoken fluent French and said that
they were part of Al Qaeda.
An
amateur video of the assailants’ subsequent gunfight with the police showed the
men shouting: “We have avenged the Prophet Muhammad. We have killed Charlie
Hebdo!” The video, the source of which could not be verified, also showed the
gunmen killing a police officer as he lay wounded on a nearby street.
Mr. Charbonnier stoked controversy and drew the ire of many in the Muslim community in 2006 when he republished satirical cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that had been published in a Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten. His last cartoon for Charlie Hebdo featured an armed man who appeared to be a Muslim fighter with a headline that read: “Still no attacks in France. Wait! We have until the end of January to offer our wishes.”
Clockwise from top left, the cartoonists Jean Cabut, known as Cabu; Bernard Verlhac, who used the name Tignous; Georges Wolinski; and Stéphane Charbonnier, known as Charb, who was also the editorial director of Charlie Hebdo.Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Michael J. Morell, a former deputy director of the C.I.A. and now a consultant to CBS News, said it was unclear whether the attackers had acted on their own or been directed by organized groups. He called the motive of the attackers “absolutely clear: trying to shut down a media organization that lampooned the Prophet Muhammad.”
“So, no doubt in my mind that this is terrorism,” he said.
Mr. Morell added, “What we have to figure out here is the perpetrators and whether they were self-radicalized or whether they were individuals who fought in Syria and Iraq and came back, or whether they were actually directed by ISIS or Al Qaeda.”
Dalil Boubakeur, the rector of the Grand Mosque in Paris, one of France’s largest, expressed horror at the assault. “We are shocked and surprised that something like this could happen in the center of Paris. But where are we?” he was quoted as saying by Europe1, a radio broadcaster.
“We strongly condemn these kinds of acts, and we expect the authorities to take the most appropriate measures,” he said, adding, “This is a deafening declaration of war.”
The attack comes as thousands of Europeans have joined jihadist groups in Iraq and Syria, further fueling concerns about Islamic radicalism and terrorism being imported. Those worries have been especially acute in France, where fears have grown that militants are bent on retaliation for the government’s support for the United States-led air campaign against jihadists with the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.
Last month, Prime Minister Manuel Valls ordered hundreds of additional military personnel onto the streets after a series of attacks across France raised alarms over Islamic terror.
In Dijon and Nantes, a total of 23 people were injured when men drove vehicles into crowds, with one of the drivers shouting an Islamic rallying cry. The authorities depicted both drivers as mentally unstable. The attacks came after violence attributed to “lone-wolf” attackers in London in 2013, in Canada in October andlast month in Sydney, Australia.
In September, fighters in Algeria aligned with the Islamic State beheaded Hervé Gourdel, a 55-year-old mountaineering guide from Nice, and released a video documenting the murder. Mr. Gourdel had been kidnapped after the Islamic State called on its supporters to wage war against Europeans.
President Obama issued a statement condemning the killings. “Time and again, the French people have stood up for the universal values that generations of our people have defended,” he said.
“France, and the great city of Paris where this outrageous attack took place, offer the world a timeless example that will endure well beyond the hateful vision of these killers. We are in touch with French officials, and I have directed my administration to provide any assistance needed to help bring these terrorists to justice.”
Correction: January 7, 2015
An earlier version of this article misstated the location of the abandoned car believed to have been used by the gunmen, using information from the police. It was found in the 19th Arrondissement, not the 20th.
An earlier version of this article misstated the location of the abandoned car believed to have been used by the gunmen, using information from the police. It was found in the 19th Arrondissement, not the 20th.
Correction: January 7, 2015
An earlier version of this article gave incorrect ages for Said and Chérif Kouachi. Said is 34 and Chérif is 32, not the other way around.
