ISIS claimed responsibility for gunfire and blasts that targeted six sites in Paris, killing 128 people in one of the nation’s deadliest massacres.
In an online statement distributed by supporters, the terror group said eight militants wearing explosive belts and armed with machine guns attacked precisely selected areas in the French capital.
In addition to the people killed, 180 others were injured, according to the Paris Police Prefecture. More than half of them are in critical condition.
President Francois Hollande blamed the attack on ISIS, calling it “an act of war” by the militants. He said it was planned from the outside — “with inside complicity.”
“When the terrorists are capable of doing such acts, they must know that they will face a France very determined,” he said.
Night of horror
Gunmen hit Friday night when bars and restaurants were bustling with residents and tourists. When they stormed in, glass shattered under the rage of bullets. Excited weekend chatter turned into panicked screams.
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One of the targets was near a soccer match as France played world champion Germany. Terrified fans huddled together and streamed onto the field after the blasts . Others hugged.
At the Bataclan, a concert hall where most of the fatalities occurred, fans were listening to American rock band Eagles of Death Metal when the blasts started.
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“People yelled, screamed,” said Julien Pearce, who was there. “It lasted for 10 minutes. Ten horrific minutes where everybody was on the floor covering their head.”
