French police storm apartment in hunt for Paris attacks mastermind

Amid gunfire and explosions, French police have raided a suburban Paris apartment where the suspected mastermind of last week’s attacks was believed to be holed up. The siege ended with two deaths and seven arrests but no clear information on his fate.

Soldiers operate in St. Denis, a northern suburb of Paris, Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015. Authorities in the Paris suburb of St. Denis are telling residents to stay inside during a large police operation near France’s national stadium that two officials say is linked to last week’s deadly attacks. Image by (AP Photo/Francois Mori)

The dead were a woman who blew herself up with an explosive vest and a man hit by projectiles and grenades at the end of the raid, which began before dawn and continued for more than seven hours at the apartment building in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis.

Paris prosecutor Francois Molins said the raid was launched after information from tapped telephone conversations, surveillance and witness accounts indicated that the suspected attacks planner, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, might be in a safe house in the district.

Authorities could not immediately confirm whether Abaaoud, a Belgian Islamic State militant, was killed or arrested on Wednesday morning.

Residents are evacuated in Saint Denis, near Paris, Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2015. A woman wearing an explosive suicide vest blew herself up Wednesday as heavily armed police tried to storm a suburban Paris apartment where the suspected mastermind of last week’s gun and bomb rampage was believed to be holed up, police said. Image by (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

Abaaoud was believed to be in Syria after a January police raid in Belgium, but bragged in IS propaganda of his ability to move back and forth between Europe and Syria undetected.

Speaking at the scene of Wednesday’s raid, Mr Molins said the operation began with a pre-dawn shootout and resulted in the capture of three people inside the apartment, the death of a woman who set off an explosive charge, and the death of “another terrorist who was found at the end of the operation who was hit by projectiles and grenades”.

He said two other people were detained while trying to hide in the rubble, and two others were arrested, including the man who had provided the apartment and one of his acquaintances. Police at the scene were seen escorting away one man naked from the waist down and another wrapped in a gold emergency blanked.

Police forces prepare in Saint Denis, a northern suburb of Paris. Image by AP Photo/Francois Mori

“As things stand, it is impossible to give you the identities of the people detained, which are being verified,” he said.

Mr Molins and interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve did not specify whether any suspects might still be at large.

A police official said four police officers were injured.

French president Francois Hollande held an emergency meeting with senior ministers at the Elysee Palace to monitor the raid.

Residents said an explosion shook the neighbourhood shortly after 4am local time.

Read more:

Two suspects killed and five arrested after dawn raids by Paris police

Families across the world mourn victims of Paris terror attacks

Solidarity: world’s most famous buildings light up in French colours

In pictures: people all over the world stand with Paris

How the night of terror in Paris unfolded

Disneyland Paris closed today after Paris massacre

A look at the targets of the Paris terror attacks

Emergency contact numbers for Paris attacks

The world shows support for France on social media

U2 cancel Paris concert, Eagles of Death Metal safe