While France had already experienced tragedy in early 2015, during the January 2015 Terrorist Attacks in Paris against Charlie Hebdo the country was again confronted with jihadism and its deadly consequences. Back first in a summarized way, then in a much more complete and detailed way, on the terrible attacks that ended the year 2015.
Here are in order:
- Short summary of the Paris attacks (November 13-20, 2015)
- Detailed description of the attacks (November 13-14, 2015)
- Solidarity and reactions (November 14, 2015)
- The aftermath of the terrorist attacks (November 14-17, 2015)
- Armed operation in Saint-Denis and extended state of emergency (November 18-20, 2015)
Short summary of the Paris Attacks and the investigation from November 13 to 20, 2015
- Attacks took place in Paris late on the evening of Friday, November 13, 2015.
- Coordinated, and triggered in six different points of the capital, they plunged France into horror, only eleven months after the January attacks in Paris against, among others, the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
- The state of emergency allowed for more than 400 searches and more than 70 weapons seizures in one week.
- The investigation quickly turned to Belgium, and to Saint-Denis, near Paris. During the operation in Saint-Denis, the terrorist organizer of the attacks, a woman, and a man died.
Detailed description of the November 13, 2015 attacks in Paris
3 teams of terrorists went into action on Friday evening, November 13, 2015. Here is the hour by hour summary of these attacks.
friday November 13, 2015
9:20 p.m. – The France-Germany friendly match is being played. A first explosion at the level of the door D of the Stade de France. 2 bodies are discovered: a suicide bomber, with an explosive belt and a detonator. The second body is a passer-by. The suicide bomber had tried to enter the Stade de France 15 minutes after the beginning of the game but his explosives were detected by the security.
9:25 p.m. – In the 10th district of Paris, the bar Carillon and the restaurant Petit Cambodge were targeted by Kalashnikov fire. The criminals had arrived in a black car. A hundred shell casings were found. 15 people died and several others were injured in an absolute emergency.
21:30 – 2nd explosion at gate H of the Stade de France. Another suicide bomber blew himself up, with a vest armed with explosives just like the 1st explosion at the Stade de France.
21:32 – In the 11th district, shooting in the bar La Bonne Bière: 5 people are dead, and 8 injured in absolute emergency. The criminals also had a black car, and hundreds of shells were found.
21:36 – Restaurant La Belle Equipe: 19 people died, while they were on the terrace. Another hundred shells were found.
9:40 p.m. approximately – The restaurant Comptoir Voltaire in the 11th district is victim of an attack perpetrated by a kamikaze. He was wearing an explosive vest like the Stade de France bombers. One person is seriously injured, and several others slightly.
21:40 – In front of the Bataclan theater, a car arrives. 3 people get out, burst into the room where a rock concert was being played, and shoot heavily into the mass of people. It is a carnage: while the spectators are taken of fright, and try to protect themselves, some by crawling towards the emergency exits or by barricading themselves, the criminals shoot in the mass. The assailants then take hostage the surviving members of the public who have crouched in front of the pit, where the greatest number of victims will be found. In brief talks, the criminals cite Iraq and Syria, where France has had a strong military presence for several months, as the reason for their attack.
11:05 p.m. – President François Hollande, in a speech broadcast on television, proclaimed astate of emergency and closed the borders, while calling for calm and unity despite“the horror“.
saturday, November 14, 2015
00:20 – The assault is given by the police in the Bataclan theater. One terrorist is killed by police, the other 2 terrorists blow themselves up by activating their belts packed with explosives. 89 people from the audience are found dead, and many injured are taken care of.
7:00 am – Paris wakes up in horror. Even though some Parisians were still sleeping during this bloody night, the whole world turned and showed its solidarity towards the French capital. While the World Trade Center was lit up with the colors of the French flag, messages of solidarity from governments on all continents poured in during the night: United States, China, Germany, Japan, etc.
8:45 a.m. – All sports competitions that were to take place in the Paris region were cancelled. All schools and universities in the Paris region are also closed this Saturday.
10:50 am – While the official death toll is 128 people, 250 injured, including 100 seriously, François Hollande decreed 3 days of national mourning and accused Daesh of having committed “an act of war”. At this time, the 7 terrorists are dead and DNA tests are underway to identify the criminals. Public demonstrations are forbidden until the following Thursday.
Solidarity and social networks in the face of the tragedy of the attacks of November 13, 2015
A huge surge of solidarity has formed in response to the attacks.
Social networks played a major role. Thus, the hashtag #PortesOuvertes immediately took hold in the popular topics of Twitter, everyone offering to welcome people who would be stranded because of the attacks, especially after the disruptions and the stoppage of traffic.
On Facebook, a feature allowing all Parisians to indicate if they are safe, and if their loved ones are safe, was deployed for the first time in response to a terrorist attack.
On all social networks, and in all messages, images of solidarity and support were displayed and posted all over the world: some were written “Pray for Paris” in the same font as the January 2015 waiters against Charlie Hebdo, others showed Marianne, symbol of the Republic, in tears, and still others turned the Eiffel Tower upside down as a sign of solidarity.
The aftermath of the November 2015 terrorist attacks – the November 14, 15 and 16 Summary
saturday, November 14, 2015
12:00 – The Islamic State officially claims to be the author of the attacks in France this November 13, 2015.
12:45 – A Syrian passport was found on one of the suicide bombers.
5pm – The Syrian passport found near the suicide bomber is that of a Syrian refugee migrant registered by Greek authorities on the island of Leros in October.
6pm – One of the identified terrorists had been registered since 2010 by the French police.
6:30 PM – Several arrests were made in Belgium. A car registered in Belgium was found near the Bataclan.
sunday 15 November 2015
7:00 AM – France woke up to the news that 168 “administrative” searches had taken place thanks to the state of emergency status throughout the country.
monday, November 16, 2015 and Tuesday, November 17
The searches continue. The investigation is progressing, especially in Belgium and more specifically the sulfurous district of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean.
Armed operation in Saint-Denis and extended state of emergency – the Summary of November 18, 19 and 20
wednesday 18 November 2015
4:16 AM – A major police operation is carried out with the objective of neutralizing the organizer of the attacks: Abdelhamid Abaaoud.
7:00 am – People are entrenched in an apartment in Saint-Denis on the third floor, which the armed forces are trying to break into. Violent exchanges of fire took place.
11:30 – The assault is finally over. A woman blew herself up: she is the first female suicide bomber in France. Another terrorist is confirmed dead. There was at least a third person present, not identified. Several people were taken into custody, including the man who had lent them the apartment, and who had been interviewed earlier by BFMTV.
6:00 PM – Since the attacks, 414 searches have been conducted and 64 people have been arrested. 60 people have been taken into custody and 75 weapons have been seized. More than a hundred house arrests have been ordered.
thursday, November 19, 2015
The National Assembly votes to extend the state of emergency for 3 months. Only 6 deputies vote against it.
The Lyon Festival of Lights that was supposed to take place in early December is cancelled, and replaced by a tribute to the victims.
friday 20 November 2015
1:00 PM – Contrary to what had been reported, the woman who was present in the Saint Denis assault did not die as a suicide bomber. A 3rd body has been identified: it would be that of a man. In the end, 3 jihadists died in this assault: the terrorist who organized the attacks, a woman, and a man.
saturday 21 November 2015
3:00 PM – Belgium, for fear of an attack similar to the one in Paris, has recommended that the entire population not go out. Public transportation is suspended, and many establishments are closed.
march 22, 2016
El Bakraoui brothers attacks in Belgium.
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