Paris attacks day five: 'Heavy gunfire' during police operation in Saint Denis

Key points in the Saint Denis raid, which led to seven arrests in connection with the Paris attacks on Friday:

• The operation began before dawn after intelligence led police to believe Abdelhamid Abaaoud was hiding in an apartment in Saint Denis, north Paris. The apartment is two kilometres from the Stade de France football stadium, which was attacked by two suicide bombers on Friday.
• At the beginning of the operation, a woman with a suicide vest approached police a blew herself up.
• Another suspect was shot by police, likely by a police sniper.
• Three suspects were detained during the raid, then two more people were found hiding in the rubble from the explosions and subsequently arrested.
• Two more people were later arrested in the area: one who had provided the accommodation and his acquaintance.
• Police said one police dog – seven-year-old 'Diesel' – died in the raid, and five officers were wounded.
• There were reports this terror cell had been preparing a new attack, possibly at La Defense, the city's business and financial district.

That concludes our live coverage of the Paris raid in Saint Denis.

Read the full report of Nick Miller, Faifax's European correspondent, here.

Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the suspected ringleader of the November 13 Paris attacks, in an Islamic State propaganda video.Credit: AP

Abdelhamid Abaaoud, suspected planner of the Paris attacks, mocked European frontier controls and boasted of the ease with which he could move between Syria to his Belgian homeland and the rest of Europe.

In a slick online English-language magazine produced by Islamic State in February, Abaaoud, now known as Abu Omar al-Baljiki -- the Belgian -- said he had been in his homeland the previous month planning attacks with two others who had fought in Syria and who died in a Belgian police raid in January.

He had, he said, returned to Syria, despite his face having been well known to police thanks to a much-posted video of him driving a pick-up truck towing the bloodied bodies of prisoners.

"I suddenly saw my picture all over the media, but alhamdulillah (thanks be to God), the kuffar (infidels) were blinded by Allah," he said. "I was even stopped by an officer who contemplated me so as to compare me to the picture, but he let me go, as he did not see the resemblance.

"This was nothing but a gift from Allah."

- Reuters

This undated image made available in the Islamic State's magazine Dabiq, shows Belgian Abdelhamid Abaaoud. Credit: AP

The human toll of Friday's attacks by Islamists in Paris, according to the BBC:

• 129 dead - the victims have all been identified but names not released.
• 57 injured remain in intensive care.
• A total of 221 people are in hospital due to injuries suffered in the terrorist attacks.

A person is evacuated after a shooting, outside the Bataclan Theatre in Paris.Credit: AP

People are expressing their dismay and gratitude for a police dog named Diesel was killed by terrorists during the raid in Saint Denis.

The raid came after fresh intelligence led police to believe senior IS operative Abdelhamid Abaaoud was "likely" to be hiding in an apartment in Saint Denis in the city's north, a French prosecutor said.

It is unclear whether Abaaoud was among those killed or arrested.

Read the full report of Nick Miller, Faifax's Europe correspondent, here.

Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the suspected mastermind of the Paris attacks.Credit: Militant video via AP

"They have weapons. F--k them. We have champagne!"

Charlie Hebdo, the magazine that has struggled after Islamists stormed its offices and killed 12 staff on January 7, has found its voice again.

Read the report here.

The image in this tweet is a reminder of the danger police were exposed to when ending the Bataclan siege last Friday. President Hollande today praised police for their actions on Friday and today, saying "France is proud to call on your strength and quality to protect its citizens."

- Nick Miller

During the operation, police smashed a hole through the door of Saint Denis-de-l'Estrée Catholic Church and entered the place of worship. There are reports that police were following tips that a suspect was inside, although nothing has been confirmed by the authorities yet. The police used force to enter the church as part of their security sweep of the area, late in the operation on the apartment, according to other sources.

French police officers storm a church after a raid in Paris suburb Saint Denis. Credit: AP

President Francois Hollande has addressed a meeting of French mayors to speak about the raid. He said:

"The aim was to neutralise terrorists in Saint Denis who have links with the perpetrators of the hideous crimes and attacks of Friday night. Two of the terrorists were killed in the raid and other were detained."

"I can't imagine the anger and the anguish and the panic felt by the residents of Saint Denis and I would like to salute their cold blood and calmness ..."

"I would like to express our gratitude, our admiration for the security forces, the police who have launched the operation.

"They knew the danger, they underestimated once again the violence that they would have met with, but despite that they fought until the end of the mission."

'The aim was to neutralise terrorists in Saint Denis' .. French President Francois Hollande.Credit: AP