Following a shooting at satirical paper, Charlie Hebdo, on Wednesday, January 7th, French officials are warning citizens and tourists to use caution on the streets of Paris. According to authorities, the two masked men behind the attack belong to the extremist Islamic State group.
Paris prosecutor’s spokeswoman, Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre, confirmed 12 people were killed in what French officials are now calling the worst terror attack in at least two decades, according to the The Huffington Post.
“On January 7, two gunmen attacked the Charlie Hebdo newspaper office in easy Paris,” the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said.
It was revealed that the gunmen entered the building and killed the editor, along with at least one cartoonist and two police officers guarding the newspaper’s offices. Both gunmen escaped in a getaway car, which was waiting for them outside the office.
“A number of people have been killed and injured. If you’re in Paris of the Ile-de-France area, take extra care and follow the security advice issues by the French authorities,” added the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).
French President Francois Hollande said the attack on the Charlie Hebdo publication, which has frequently drawn criticism from Muslims, is “a terrorist attack, without a doubt.” He added that several other attacks had been derailed in France “in recent weeks.”
Earlier on Wednesday, the FCO said the city was at a “high threat” from terrorism, with recent incidents in Tours, Dijon, and Nantes being mentioned. France raised its threat alert to the highest level, and reinforced security at houses of worship, stores, media offices, and transportation. Top government officials also held an emergency meeting.
Minister Bernard Cazeneuve has promised to offer the citizens of France the highest possible protection the government is capable of handing out following the attack.
World leaders including President Barack Obama and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have all condemned the attack, but supporters of the Islamic State group are celebrating the killings.
A cartoonist at Charlie Hebdo had recently released a satirical image of the extremist group’s leader, entitled “Still No Attacks in France.” Minutes before the attack, the publication had tweeted a satirical cartoon of that extremist group’s leader giving New Year’s wishes.
