The Paris police began a siege with gunfire started at around 4.30 a.m. and still continuing with an ongoing operation at Rue de Corbillon at St. Denis, north of Paris, and 2km away from the Stade de France where attacks took place on Friday, November 13. Heavy shooting kicked off with automatic gunfire and explosions (at least seven). More than 100 French police officers were looking for a new suspect in the Paris attacks that took place on Friday – a ninth man – previously unnoticed. Later, it was noted that the main target of the police operation was the suspected mastermind of the attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud that was believed to have escaped from Syria but is apparently in France.

NOTE: It is still unconfirmed, though reported, that the targets of the raid were the suspected mastermind of the attacks Abaaoud and the eighth terrorist involved in the Paris attacks – Salah Abdeslam.

Police arrested a total of seven people, says Associated press. The seven were arrested in the building, though we only know of three who were actually in the apartment. They did not identify those detained.

Journalists on the scene reported a loud bang from the street where the raid is ongoing, minutes before the most recent arrests.

A statement by the Paris prosecutor’s office states that five people have been arrested as a result of the raid:

• One woman – holed up in the apartment is dead after she detonated an explosive device.
• Three people who were in the apartment have been arrested
• Two other people (a man and a woman) were also arrested separately, but not in the apartment

Five policemen were slightly injured.

Witnesses speak of periods of intense machine gun fire and at least seven loud explosions caused by the suicide bomber and hand grenades.

Warnings for the people of St. Denis

At least 15 people were evacuated from the apartment block that is the center of Wednesday’s raid and counseling has been set up.

Roads are cordoned off in St. Denis and people are called to stay in their homes and away from windows while military personnel are patroling the areas. Some residents have moved to a temporary shelter in the town hall.  Schools will remain shut on Wednesday.

French government:

An emergency meeting is taking place at the Elysee palace between French president François Hollande, prime minister Manuel Valls, interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve, defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, foreign minister Laurent Fabius and justice ministerChristiane Taubira.

The ninth attacker

Video footage of a new suspect in a black Seat with two other attackers opening fire at a bar with assault rifles through the car’s window has been found. The car in question was later found abandoned at the Paris suburb of Montreuil with three AK-47 rifles inside. If there were three people in the Seat, then there were nine attackers shooting in Paris.