Update 2:30 pm:
In the hours after the dramatic saga at a kosher supermarket in Paris ended with French SWAT killing the gunman during a raid on Friday evening, new details emerge about the complex operation to free the hostages.
According to media reports, Amedy Coulibaly, an associate of the two brothers responsible for the Charlie Hebdo massacre, was only eliminated after police successfully connected to the supermarket’s security cameras and saw the suspect kneel down to pray.
French media reported the 32-year-old suspect shot and killed three people with his entry into the kosher store, before taking the remaining customers hostage. Some managed to escape into the freezers, and went unnoticed by the gunman. At least one managed to contact a family member.
Sky News reported that French police hooked up to the CCTV cameras at the kosher market, enabling officers to closely track the developments throughout the saga – which began at 2:30 pm and ended with the dramatic raid shortly after 6 pm.
At 5:53 pm, as special forces were preparing their respective raids, the French interior ministry said that they intended to negotiate with the hostage-takers, warning the incident could take hours – or even days – before reaching a resolution.
At that same moment, the French television networks halted their live broadcasts from the scene – as per the police’s request – and journalists were pulled back from the area.
Then, shortly before 6 pm, the Kouachi brothers left the factory and opened fire on the forces surrounding the complex. The SWAT teams returned fire, killing the two terrorists. Two police officers were wounded in the exchange, and it was reported one succumbed to his wounds.
According to reports, the raids were not planned ahead of time and only began following the gunfire of the terrorist brothers. But the moment the first incident occurred, the signal was given for the dramatic raid on the kosher mart in Paris.
Explosions and gunshots were heard on the scene as the SWAT forces entered and eliminated Amedy Coulibaly, freeing at least five hostages, including a baby. Two police officers were wounded in the raid.
After neutralizing the threat, the French police were horrified to discover the bodies of four hostages, shot in cold blood, and four hostages critically wounded.
French President Hollande confirmed that four people were killed in the siege in the Vincennes Kosher supermarket. It is unclear if this number includes the hostage-taker.
“It is indeed an appalling anti-Semitic act that was committed,” he said of the hostage-taking by an Islamist gunman at the Hyper Cacher supermarket in the Vincennes district.
“I want to salute the police and and all those who participated in the operations. I want to tell them we are proud of you,” Hollande adds, saying they they saved the hostages and “neutralized” the terrorists.
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By COLlive reporter
French security forces have stormed the kosher grocery Hyper Cacher in Paris and reportedly killed the terrorists holding 5 people hostage.
Police at the scene of the grocery store siege in eastern Paris shouted “get down!” and “we’ve got him,” video from CNN affiliate BFMTV show.
Police could be seen leaving the eastern Paris grocery store, where hostages were being held, with people late Friday afternoon.
Cherif and Said Kouachi — the suspects in the massacre at the offices of Charlie Hebdo — have been killed in by security forces, Otis Mayor Bernard Corneille said.
The Reuters news agency says that 4 hostages were killed, but France 24 television station says that the 4 hostages are critically wounded, but are not dead.
VIDEO: Live updates
Names for Tehillim for hostages:
שמואל יצחק בן שרה
מרדכי בן מיה
אנדרי בת סוזן
זרי בת סוזן
Shmuel Yitzchak ben Sara
Mordechai ben Maya
Andrea bas Susan
Zeri bas Susan Shoshana
Noach ben Sarah
Meryl bas Nancy
Sarah bas Louna
and are YOU aware that over 15 hostages maed it safely home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thank you hashem!
I like #30
FRANCE IS FINISHED AS A COUNTRY SAFE FOR JEWS.
IT HAS BECOME A CALIPHATE FOR THE 500,000 MUSLIMS
the only thing that we need is faith in hachem !! by the way it’s easy to say, when we live in NY, that all the world is no safe. when you actually live in france , nothing can seems worst…
may we only hear good news! shavoua tov
is definitely the SAFEST place!!!
To Israel? That was naive and silly. Do you how many people, BABIES, have been murdered in Israel this year? What’s wrong with you?
France could have a two state solution with the Muslims, and we’d be happy to send Kerry to help.
ARE YOU AWARE 4 HOSTAGES IN THE MARKET WERE KILLED?????You all seem to think all the hostages made it.
We’re all the 15 hostages Jewish.?
Get a concealed and carry permit, and make them change the law in places where you can’t
This can happen anywhere… It feels like world war 3 is about to happen… Just this time it’s all around the world..
Are there really 4 killed???
Home is where I pay taxes and the mortgage.
THE FRENCH GOVT ,NEVER CARED FOR ISRAEL ,,JEWS,ETC
THE RECENT EVENT SHOWS HOW THEY ARE MOVED WITH FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, NOT THE MANY SENSLESS KILLING OF JEWS,FROM HATRED.
This is a miracle. For a hostage to come out of such conditions alive. Thank you Hashem for the safe return from the hostages. May they all be well!
to #21
To Israel of course! Where else are we all welcome- our homeland that G-d gave to us.. we need to start appreciating what we have and live there.
And where should all the Jews from France move to?? This can happen anywhere, even in America, my friend. We live in a crazy world. Good shabbos
4 hostages have been killed
I am SO Happy!
BH!!! they are free! Thank you Hashem that there was a good outcome, feel like saying Nishmas…
Shoot them all dead as we should have done to thr Germans Didn’t we learn our lesson.Fight anti semetism with Bombs andbullets now!!!!!!
Oh well, sometimes I just hate being right…… Now for the 64 million dollar question…… Who can tell me where they think that something like this is going to happen NEXT?!?! (I’ll give you all a hint – it is certainly NOT going to be in a place that makes it easy to carry a concealed weapon…….. Good luck NY,NJ I pray that you won’t need it……)
Correct name to:
מרדכי בן מרים
Time to bring home every shliach from that country and quite frankly, Jews should leave there immediately!
On a different note, this could not have happened to a better country than the known anti-Semites French! This Palestinian-loving European anti-Semites are getting a bit of a taste from the people they love so much!
From his cousin
no one died !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Of western civilization.
R there 2 siblings? There r 2 names bas Suzan. May this nightmare b over now!
When will this madness end? MOSHIACH WE ARE WAITING. Please….. This evil cannot continue!!!!
there is no confirmed fatality, please ignore the associated press report which is unfounded and incorrect (not for the first time either) a sure source on the ground has just confirmed that BH there is no such confirmation
Please say Tehillim for Yossef Ben Rachel
no one is killed or at least no one said it . we are davening but now we have no reasons to think that ppl were killed . i’m in france and listening the french radio since the beginning of the hostage taking and no one talked about ppl killed . it’s rumors . let’s daven till hachem listen to us and send us mochiah . amen !
hi i’m french and there are some mistakes and lacks in your names : it’s zarie bas suzan chochana (it’s a girl not a boy and i know her personnally) and there are some names to add : noah ben sarah , meryl bas nancy and sarah bas louna . share it please . thank you and may we hear only good news . we are so chocked here ! mochiah now
the gouvernement said there isnt any killed. the terrorist is in the store with 5 victims. daven
שמואל יצחק בן שרה
מרדכי בן מיה
אנדרי בת סוזן
זרי בן סוזן.
להעביר בכל הקבוצות!!!
and a mother with kids!!!
Please say Tehillim for Yossef Yitzchak Ben Rachel