Two standoffs between police anti-terror units and terror suspects are unfolding in France: two brothers are being sought in the Charlie Hebdo attack, and a hostage situation has been reported at a grocery store.
Amedy Coulibaly, a suspect wanted in Thursday’s shooting of a police officer, is said to be holding six hostages inside a kosher store.
Authorities say that the Kouachi brothers, suspects in Wednesday’s shooting at the offices of Charlie Hebdo, are surrounded by police inside a printing business in the town of Dammartin-en-Goele.
According to CNN, as of 9:22 a.m. eastern:
• Roads were blocked off near the hostage situation at the grocery store near Porte de Vincennes, with heavily armed law enforcement seen inside.
• Meanwhile, in Dammartin-en-Goele, Brandet tweeted that negotiating teams have made it their top priority trying to establish a dialogue with the extremists inside the building. Yves Albarello, who is in France’s parliament, said on French channel iTele that the two suspects told police by phone that they wanted to die as martyrs.
• There had been no assault, nor any injuries or deaths, as of 1 p.m. (7 a.m. ET), the Interior Ministry spokesman added.
• A salesman, who identified himself only as Didier, told France Info radio that he shook one of the gunman’s hands as they arrived around 8:30 a.m. Friday at a Dammartin-en-Goele printing business — the same place where the Kouachi brothers are believed to be surrounded. Didier told the public radio station that he first thought the man, who was dressed in black and heavily armed, was a police officer.
As he left, the armed man said, “Go, we don’t kill civilians.” Didier said, “It wasn’t normal. I did not know what was going on.”
• Dammartin-en-Goele residents have been told to stay inside, and schools are on lockdown, the mayor’s media office told CNN on Friday. Shops in the town have been told to close.
• These aren’t the only incidents occupying French authorities. So, too, is the fatal shooting of a policewoman Thursday in Montrouge, a southern suburb of Paris. French police released photos Friday of a man and a woman — Coulibaly and Hayat Boumeddiene, 26 — who they believe carried out this attack and are believed to be armed and dangerous.
Google streetview of hostage location:
