Attack on Charlie Hebdo Wednesday Jan 07,2015

 

At about 11:20 local time (10:30GMT)on Wednesday Jan 07,2015  two masked gunmen arrived at the building in Rue Nicolas-Appert.

Cartoonist Corinne Rey said the men got into the building after forcing her to enter the code to open the door.
Once in the building, the men - armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles - killed a policeman on guard and a member of staff. The attackers then moved to the second-floor office of Charlie Hebdo, where the weekly editorial meeting was taking place.
They opened fire, killing eight journalists and a guest attending the meeting.

This is the haunting first photograph (right) from inside the devastated Charlie Hebdo office hit in a deadly terrorist attack in Paris yesterday. The chilling image from the building (also pictured outside, bottom left) shows blood-stained wooden floors, papers strewn across the corridor and a pool of red in one corner. Eight journalists, two police officers, a maintenance worker and a visitor were killed in the horrifying attack on the anti-Islamist newspaper. Tonight, two armed suspects wanted over the massacre were being pursued through woodland as a huge manhunt closed in on a forest. Also pictured (top left) are six of the Charlie Hebdo journalists and staff members killed - circled top from left are Philippe Honore, Georges Wolinski, Bernard Maris and Jean Cabut. Below them on the stairs, from left, are editor Stephane Charbonnier and cartoonist Bernard 'Tignous' Verlhac.

Eight journalists - including the magazine's editor - died along with two policemen, a maintenance worker and a visitor when masked men armed with assault rifles stormed the Charlie Hebdo offices

Those killed include economist Bernard Maris, prominent cartoonists Wolinski and Cabu, Charlie Hebdo editor Stephane Charbonnier and cartoonist Bernard Verlhac

 

The attack took place as the magazine was holding its weekly editorial meeting. 

Charlie Hebdo editor Stephane Charbonnier(47)had received death threats in the past and was living under police protection

The magazine has angered some Muslims in the past by printing cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. The offices were firebombed in 2011

The gunmen were heard shouting "we have avenged the Prophet Muhammad" and "God is Great" in Arabic ("Allahu Akbar")

French police have named two brothers as suspects in the attack on the Paris offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, as a manhunt continues.

French police issued photos of Cherif and Said Kouachi, said to be "armed and dangerous", and arrest warrants

 Cherif Kouachi (left), 32, and Said Kouachi (right), 34, both from Paris, were identified as suspects in the attack along with Hamyd Mourad(18) from the north-eastern city of Reims. Mourad surrendered to police last night 'after seeing his name circulating on social media

Police officers and firefighters gather in front of the offices of Charlie Hebdo in Paris after gunmen stormed the building

Security forces carried out a major search operation in the eastern city of Reims overnight but no arrests were made

HOW ATTACK ON CHARLIE HEBDO HQ UNFOLDED

 

10.28am - The satirical magazine updates its Twitter page with a cartoon of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. In it, he wishes everyone 'good health'.

10.57am - The AFP news agency reports shots have been fired at the French weekly magazine, on Boulevard Richard Lenoir.

11.17am - Eyewitness accounts emerge showing the immediate aftermath of the scene.

11.22am - AFP confirms the first death as a result of the shooting. Three minutes later it confirms the death toll has risen to 10.

11.31am - President Francois Hollande is en-route to visit the magazine's offices shortly, officials say

11.36am - The death toll is increased to 11 and then to 12.

11.46am - Paris is put on maximum alert following the attacks.

11.49am - Prime Minister David Cameron condemns the attack: 'The murders in Paris are sickening. We stand with the French people in the fight against terror and defending the freedom of the press.'

11.54am - Mr Hollande, in an address near the scene of the massacre, says the shooting was 'undoubtedly a terrorist attack'. He adds: 'We fight threats and we will punish the attackers.'

11.59am - The first tweet is posted containing the hashtag #JeSuisCharlie in solidarity with the victims, the magazine and its supporters.

12.26pm - French officials confirm gunmen who carried out the attack are still at large. At least two criminals are believed to be involved.

12.38pm - The White House condemns Paris attack in the 'strongest possible terms'.

1.30pm - AFP says dead include three cartoonists and editor-in-chief Stephane Charbonnier, known as Charb.

2.13pm - French internal minister Bernard Cazeneuve says 'three criminals' were involved in the attack

Paris goes dark for Charlie Hebdo Thursday Jan 08,2015

France is holding a day of mourning on Thursday Jan 08,2015 for the 12 people killed in the attack.
A minute's silence will be observed at midday across the country and the bells of Notre Dame in the capital will toll.
Thursday's national day of mourning is only the fifth held in France in the past 50 years

The lights of the iconic Eiffel Tower went out this evening in a sombre tribute to the 12 people that were killed during the terrorist attack on the Charlie Hebdo offices in Paris.

The 1,063ft French landmark plunged into darkness briefly at 8pm before gradually coming back on in the symbolic gesture as thousands of people gathered on in Republique Square for a second night of vigils. 

Other events were held to mark the country's grief today, including the ringing of the bells of Notre-Dame cathedral over the city as people paused briefly to remember those who had been murdered.