Arrests made in connection to France terrorist attacks News
Arrests made in connection to France terrorist attacks

[JURIST] Paris’ chief prosecutor François Molins on Saturday reported [press conference, in French] three arrests connected to Friday’s terrorist attacks. Organized into three teams, terrorists reportedly connected to the extremist group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) [PBS backgrounder] perpetrated attacks on six different targets in and around Paris. Speaking one day after the attack, Molins reported [NPR report] the death toll at 129, with more than 350 people injured. Molins also reported that an investigation into camera footage of one of the attacks helped prosecutors track three perpetrators to Belgium, where they were arrested. Among the first victims to be named was Parisian lawyer Valentin Ribet.

The attacks began with a suicide bombing at the Stade de France around 9:20 PM local time. Soon thereafter, individuals riding in a Seat brand car opened fire on individuals outside cafes around Paris. At around 9:40 PM, assailants fired on concert-goers at the Bataclan concert hall, killing 89. Molins related that these individuals were using “war-type weapons” and explosives, further indicating association with ISIL. Speaking about the attacks generally, French President François Hollande called them [BBC report] “an act of war,” and vowed that the French “will lead the fight, and we will be ruthless.”