A massive raid conducted by Frenchauthorities on Wednesday has reportedly led to the death of two suspected terrorists and the arrests of seven others, according to theNew York Daily News. The raid, conducted at an apartment complex in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis that allegedly housed apparent ISIS-affiliated "ring leader" Abdelhamid Abaaoud, quickly turned into a standoff that lasted several hours. A female suicide bomber believed to be a relative of Abaaoud detonated herself during the raid, with one additional suspected terrorist killed via methods not currently known.
The group was reportedly "about to move on some kind of operation," police sources tell CNN. "These actions confirm to us once again that we are at war," Francois Hollande, president of France, asserted during a press conference shortly after the raid, "a war against terrorism, which itself has decided to bring war to us." Local authorities were reportedly led to the apartment building after discovering several cell phones near the locations of last week’s tragic attacks in Paris. According to the Daily News, at least one phone contained a text that said simply "OK, we’re ready," sent just before the attacks began.
The group was allegedly plotting forthcoming "deadly attacks" at the Charles de Gaulle Airport and a local shopping mall, according to French publications quoted by the Daily News. A police dog reportedly named Diesel was reportedly killed during the violent raid, with "at least" four officers sustaining minor injuries during the operation. Since Friday’s attacks, French authorities have carried out more than 400 raids and arrested at least 60 people while seizing various weapons. CNN cites Belgian officials as confirming that investigators will use some form of DNA analysis to determine if Abaaoud was present or possibly killed during Wednesday’s raid.
